The Dragon Wars
by Daslaer
Summary: When the world she was taught comes crashing down on her, when the world he knew betrays him and his kind, they find each other...but can they find love in all this horror? Can they be together when the world begins to burn with war? Rated M for sex and plenty of violence and blood
1. The Princess and the Warrior

**Okay, for those of y'all who read my first fanfiction Operation: Silence the Strawberry, you will know my writing style. ;D Now, I not push for reviews, but I do urge reviews for both ideas and keeping me happy because a happy me=better/longer chapters and that=more chapters. So I hope you enjoy this story, it will get weird, just a warning.

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The roar that split the night frightened her awake. She rubbed her eyes and slipped from her bed and ran to her window. The little girl rubbed her eyes and looked up at the night sky and watched as a winged shadow crossed the full moon. The girl brushed at a piece of raven hair from her face, but it kept falling back into place. She turned to the door as wood banged against the stone wall of the palace.

"Rukia! Get away from there," the woman yelled and quickly walked over to her, her hands holding her dress up away from her feet.

"But Hisana," Rukia whined as her older sister grabbed her by the hand and lead her back to the large four poster canopy bed with silk sheets and fuzzy blankets. Hisana's dress was a light blue color that really set off her violet colored eyes. The neckline was cut low and was tight; her breasts were pushed up and were nearly spilling from her dress, the dress just barely high enough to cover her nipples.

"No buts Rukia. You are the Princess; you must stay away from the windows at night. Do you want those nasty tickle monsters to get you?" she asked and tickled Rukia. Rukia rolled around in the bed laughing as her sister tickled her ribs.

"Hisana! Stop it!" she screamed and tickled her sister back. Hisana screamed in surprise as a pair of arms wrapped around her and lifted her clear of the bed.

"I believe your sister said stop it," a low voice said from behind her and she turned in the man's arms so she could throw her arms around his neck.

"I believe I don't care, my dear Byakuya," she tickled him and he roared with laughter as he fell onto the bed. Rukia pounced on her brother-in-law and tickled him too.

"Oh no! I'm being attacked by tickle monsters," Byakuya laughed and tickled his wife and sister. They soon fell back to the bed as they tried to catch their breaths. Byakuya had his right arm wrapped around Hisana's shoulders while Rukia lay on his chest. Hisana pulled Rukia off Byakuya and he watched them both.

"Okay, time to go back to bed," Hisana said and kissed Rukia's forehead as Byakuya stood up and straightened his cloths with a small smile on his face.

"Can you tell me a story?" Rukia asked and Hisana sighed as she pulled the covers up to Rukia's chin and tucked her in.

"What do you want to hear?" Hisana asked as Byakuya laid down on top the covers next to Rukia.

"Romance," Rukia said and Byakuya stuck his tongue out.

"Action," he said and Rukia shook her head.

"No, romance," she insisted and Hisana grinned.

"Sorry Bya, but I think Rukia wins this one," she winked at him and he smiled softly getting the 'I'll take care of you later' look that she gave him.

"Okay then let's see. 'Many years ago there was a princess-"

"A beautiful princess," Byakuya said knowing where this was going and Hisana glared at him and he shut his mouth and scooted closer to Rukia. "I think your sister is going to kill me," Rukia and Byakuya looked at Hisana with equally frightened gazes and Hisana's eye ticked.

"Many years ago there was a beautiful princess that lived in a faraway land filled with magic and fantastic creatures. This princess was sad because she was locked in her palace room by her father because she tried to run away. You see, the princess was supposed to be married to a prince from a neighboring kingdom, but she didn't love him so she tried to run away."

"Well one day a knight showed up to the palace and asked for the princess' hand in marriage. Her father, the King, refused at first, but the young knight was persistent and soon her father agreed to test him to see if he was worthy enough to marry his daughter. The knight had four tests that he had to pass in order to marry the beautiful princess," Hisana's eyes connected with Byakuya's and she smiled.

"What were the tests?" Rukia asked, wide eyed as she hugged the covers closer to her neck.

"The first test was that the knight had to go hunting with the king and personally kill a wild boar. The knight agreed and went to bed happy. Well the next morning, before the knight joined them, the king told his men that the knight was joining them and they couldn't let him kill a boar. The princess heard this and rushed to the prince's room and told him of the plan. He gave her a small smile and kissed her cheek as he walked away."

"The knight was kept from killing a boar for most of the morning, but about mid day he was all alone except for the king and one of the guards. A huge boar the size of a donkey charged them from the brush and killed the king's guard. The king tried to kill the boar but was knocked down. The knight raised his sword and defended the king, killing the boar in the process; thus the first test was passed."

"The second test was that the knight had to survive for three days in the wild without any supplies other than a tinder box, his sword, and his small wood axe. After three days the knight came back, tired and sore, but alive and well. Thus the second test was passed with his return."

"The third test was the hardest in terms of strength. The knight had to kill a dragon. Well the knight had killed plenty of dragons in his day and found that this puny little thing was no challenge at all. According to the king and his retainers the knight killed the dragon in less than a bell. Thus the third test was passed with his survival."

"The fourth test was the weirdest test that had been set forth. The knight had to go find a chamber maid and sleep with her,"

"But if he did that then wouldn't that mean that he couldn't marry the princess?"

"That was the king's plan. The whole night chambermaids threw themselves at the poor knight at every turn and he grew tired of them. He locked himself in his rooms and barred the door. Around midnight there was a soft knock on the door. He went to see who it was and saw the princess standing there. She asked for entrance and he allowed her to come in. She sat in his room all night with a candle and chased away anyone who tried to come into the bedchamber. The next morning the King came in and found his daughter sitting in a chair. As soon as the king came in his daughter stood and declared that the knight had passed the test with his purity."

"The king knew his daughter would never lie to him and he declared that the knight would marry his daughter the following day. The next day they were married and went home to his land. It turned out that the knight was actually a lord who loved to ride around and go on adventures. But the lord settled down and they lived happily till the end of their days," Hisana smiled at Rukia who yawned and rolled over with her eyes closed to face Byakuya.

"Time to go Bya," she said and took his hand as he played with Rukia's hair. "Let her sleep," Byakuya kissed her forehead and stood up so Hisana could kiss Rukia goodnight.

"I have some good news Bya," she said and he wrapped his arms around her and looked deep into her eyes.

"And what would that be my wonderful and very beautiful wife?" he asked and she grinned at him.

"I'm pregnant" she said in his ear and she felt his arms tighten around her as he kissed her cheek.

"That is good news indeed," he said and kissed her passionately. The door banged open and they broke apart and looked up at the guard who entered. Rukia woke up and watched as Byakuya and Hisana separated. The guard was out of breath and he leaned over, hands on his knees, as he tried to breathe.

"My Lord Kuchiki, we are under attack. The dragon is attacking," Byakuya's eyes widened and he quickly scooped up Rukia from the bed and took Hisana by the hand. "Let's go. We must get the girls to safety," he said and they all ran down the hallway. There was a loud bang and they stumbled as the castle shook.

"Byakuya," Rukia cried in his arms and he hugged her closer. He let go of Hisana's hand and hugged Rukia tighter to his body as they sprinted down the hall, he covered her head with his hand and ducked as dirt fell on them.

"Prince Abarai!" Byakuya shouted and the son of his old friend looked up from where he was bent over a wounded soldier. The red haired prince had two swords on his hip, one in a black scabbard and the other in a red one. "Give me my sword and take the girls to a safe place!" Renji nodded and another explosion rocked the palace.

"Byakuya, please don't leave," Hisana hugged him as he handed a whimpering Rukia to Renji.

"I will come back to you my love," he said and kissed her passionately as Renji took the black clad sword off his hip and held it out. Byakuya slowly pushed Hisana away and grabbed the katana. He ran outside and watched as the guards ran for cover. "Fight!" he shouted and ran to the nearest ballista which sat on the stone wall.

The sky was glowing an angry orange from the fire and smoke rolled from buildings. Byakuya cut the rope on the ballista and the two arms swung forward, propelling the large spear through the air. The spear caught the dragon on the back left leg as it flew over head and it turned towards Byakuya. It fired two fireballs, one from each nostril, and Byakuya turned and jumped as the fireballs hit the ballista blowing it into little burning pieces which flew everywhere.

Byakuya hit the ground and slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees as guards came to help. The ground shook and Byakuya fell back down. He rolled over and looked up at the black dragon that stood above him. An arrow hit the dragon in the nose and it breathed fire at the men who tried to help Byakuya. The men screamed as they were cooked alive inside their armor. One soldier got too close as he stabbed a spear at the dragon's eye and the dragon reared back, grabbing the man in his jaws and flinging him into the air.

The dragon snapped another man clean in half and swallowed his torso in one gulp. It then turned and shot a fireball from each nostril, one fireball hitting a second ballista destroying it and killing the two men operating it and the second one landed in the middle of a mass of men, tearing some of them apart, sending arms, legs, heads, and chunks of men flying.

The dragon swung its tail and cut a man in half as he ran to save his lord, the man beside him ducked under the swipe and kept running, broad sword raised over his head. The tail swung around and caught that man; his armless body took a few more steps and then pitched forward and landed flat as the head rolled across the ground, the two arms were on the ground, still holding the sword.

Byakuya scooted back on the bloody ground and the dragon pinned him down with a foot and stared at him. The dragon opened its mouth and Byakuya saw the glow of fire in the throat. The dragon suddenly screamed and snapped at the soldier who had sliced the leg. Byakuya saw his katana on the ground and grabbed for it, but it was just out of his reach. The dragon looked back at him and roared in his face.

"You had my mate killed!" the dragon shouted in his face, the voice rough.

"You killed my people and their livestock!" Byakuya shouted back and the dragon snorted a small flame and Byakuya jerked as the flame touched his face. He shook his head and the flame disappeared.

"So just because I am a dragon I am not supposed to eat?" the dragon asked and glared down at Byakuya. "I'm hungry at the moment; I think I'll have myself a small snack," the dragon said and opened its mouth to eat him.

"Let him go!" Byakuya turned his head in fear and saw Hisana walking towards them, a large spear in her hands.

"Hisana! Run!" Byakuya screamed and reached for her. The dragon looked over at Hisana and seemed to grin.

"Your mate I presume," the dragon said and shot a fireball at Hisana who threw herself back, but was thrown through the air as the fireball exploded on the ground in front of her, sending her flying into a wooden building that sat at the base of the wall. The dragon laughed loudly and fired a fireball at the building.

"HISANA!" Byakuya screamed as the fireball slammed into the front of the building which exploded in a ball of fire, smoke, and wood chunks. Byakuya's head snapped back to the sword and took a long reach and the fingers of his right hand grasped the hilt. He clung to the sword and swung it as hard as he could. There was a roar that sent the soldiers to their knees as they grabbed their ears in pain. Byakuya dropped the sword as he clutched his hands to his ears.

The dragon lifted off and Byakuya looked up and saw a long deep slash across the left side of the jaw. A line of scales had been completely cut in half and black blood ran from the wound. Byakuya crawled to his feet and ran towards the burning wreckage of the building, the sword dropping to stick point first in the ground.

"My Lord!" Renji grabbed him and threw him to the ground, jumping on top of him to hold him down.

"Hisana!" Byakuya screamed as he laid face first in the dust. He struggled until he was face up, and he landed a punch on Renji's jaw. As Renji fell back Byakuya shakily scrambled to his feet. Renji tackled him again and Byakuya reached for the building as he started to cry. "Hisana!"

"She's dead sir, she's dead!" Renji yelled in his ear and Byakuya went limp as he stared at the flames. There were men running around the palace grounds as they tried to put out the flames that licked at the walls and various buildings. There were massive holes in the palace walls and some of the towers had been destroyed by the dragon. There was blood everywhere from the men the dragon had killed, but Byakuya was ignorant to all of it.

"Byakuya!" Rukia ran up to him and knelt by his side as Renji slowly stood up. Byakuya slowly moved to sit cross-legged and Rukia crawled into his lap. Byakuya hugged her and held her close as he cried into her shoulder. Rukia cried too, knowing that her sister was dead. She had been taught at a young age about life and death, but that didn't make death any easier to bear.

Rukia looked up into the sky and glared at the dragon that flew over head, tears in her eyes.

"I'll kill you and all your kind one day, I swear I will," the 8 year old Rukia said and cried into her brother's shoulder.

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**10 years later**

Rukia glared at the green dragon in front of her as she hefted the battle axe with a half moon blade and a large spike on the back. The blade had a dragon etched into it and it caught the light of the dying sun as the dragon swung its tail again. Rukia jumped over the tail and rolled across the ground, losing the axe as she did so.

Rukia came to her feet and grabbed the spear that was stuck in the ground, the dead body of one of her fellow dragon slayer knights beside it. She jabbed at the dragon who took hold of the spear in its mouth and pulled on it. Rukia pulled back and suddenly fell on her ass. She looked up at the dragon who still had the spear in its mouth. With a solid snap the shaft of the spear fell to the ground, the dragon dropped the other foot long piece, with the foot long blade still attached to it, to the ground and advanced on her slowly.

The dragon suddenly roared in pain and turned to see a red haired knight on a horse throw the spear. The spear hit the dragon in the face and it screamed. The dragon spit a fireball at Renji who jumped off the horse as the fireball reached him. The horse exploded with a scream and blood and guts went everywhere.

"Rukia!" Renji screamed at her and the dragon turned to her in time to catch a bolt in the eye. It screamed as Rukia loaded another bolt into the crossbow and took careful aim. The dragon faced her and let out a loud scream.

"There you are," she said and pulled the trigger. The bolt flew towards the dragon and stuck in the back of its throat. The dragon reared back and Renji tossed one of the two spears to Rukia and they placed both of them under the chest of the dragon as it came crashing down, the weight of the beast pushing it onto the spears. The dragon twitched and screamed as it struggled against the spears.

"Here," Renji held out the axe and she snatched it from his hands. Rukia lifted the axe over her head and the dragon stopped twitching and looked her in the eye. Without a word or even a battle cry Rukia brought the axe down, cleaving through the scales, flesh, bone, and muscle like a knife through butter.

The dragon's head, and the part of the neck attached to it, rolled across the ground as the nerves made it twitch. Rukia stepped back and Renji came to stand next to her. She watched in satisfaction as the head rolled across the ground, leaving a twisting trail of blood in its wake. Renji put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her closer.

"Hands off," she snapped and used to fingers to lift his hand off her shoulder and drop it away. Renji glared at her.

"I talked to Lord Byakuya before we left," Rukia shrugged and walked away to grab her pack that held all her supplies.

"What about?"

"You. He said that I could marry you. That maybe I could get you to settle down and be a proper lady," Renji said as he followed her.

"There are two things wrong with that. One; I'm not going to marry you. Two; I am not going to be a proper lady until I kill all dragons and marry someone," she picked up her pack and Renji followed her into the woods where their horses were tethered.

"We aren't going to give you a choice," Renji growled and he grabbed her arm just above the elbow.

"Whose we?" she asked as he turned her to face him.

"Me and Lord Kuchiki," Renji said and leaned closer. "You are mine Rukia Kuchiki," he said and pressed his lips against hers. Rukia pushed him off her and slapped him. Renji's head snapped to the side and he shot a glare at her back as she climbed onto one of the three horses left and pressed her heels into its flanks. The horse shot off, a second one right behind her, as she scrubbed her lips with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Wait up!" Renji shouted and climbed onto the last horse and galloped after her. When he caught up to her he slowed to a walk and let the two horses nip at each other. Rukia pulled her warhorse to the side to stop the two from playing.

"You need to keep your distance," she said quietly as she zoned out as she watched the road. Renji stayed quiet as they rode through the woods. They soon hit sunlight as they walked from the woods. About two miles up the road was a small town with a wooden wall around it. The town had paid them to get rid of the three dragons that had been terrorizing them. Rukia and Renji rode down the road between the fields of wheat, cotton, and tobacco and through the front gates. The two buildings that had been burned where being rebuilt and seven plots of ground had new dirt piles over them, the crosses at the ends had the names of the dead carved into them.

"You two finally made it back. Where are the others?" Renji shook his head as Rukia took the bag that the mayor of the town held up.

"Thank you. The beasts are dead, all three of them," Rukia opened the back and did a short count. 30 gold pieces sat in the little leather pouch; 15 for each of them. She closed the pouch and slid it into a bag sewn into the side of the saddle and turned the horse around.

"Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Mayor," Renji said and the mayor hurried up to their sides and walked with them.

"It's getting late. You could always stay in the inn for the night, food and rooms will be paid by the town," he said and Renji laid a hand on Rukia's shoulder and she shot him a glare. Renji quickly retracted his hand and shrugged.

"Fine. Where is this inn?" Rukia asked.

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"Five of them go out and after three days only two come back. No trophies, no proof, but they claim that they killed three dragons. It smells a bit fishy to me," the bartender snorted and handed the man a mug of ale. The candle light made his spiked hair look orange.

"They be the best known dragon slayers in the land. When they say that they kill a dragon, they kill a dragon."

"I still don't believe it. It seems a little strange don't you think? Five of them go out; those two come back with no scrapes or scratches on them at all. Don't you think it's a bit strange?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But it's not my place to get into peoples' business and tell them what I think," the bartender turned to the next customer.

"I think that I should go call them out and see what they do," he drew a small dagger from his sleeve and set it on the bar. The bartender turned back to him and glared.

"Now you listen here boy. Those two have been helping us with everything from bandits to dragons. You leave them alone, and if you hurt any of them the town will hang you from the nearest building with open rafters, understand?" the man slid the knife back into his sleeve and smiled at the bartender. The bartender noticed something on the back of his left hand and the man pulled his sleeve back. The bartender took a quick step back and held up his hands when he saw the tattoo of a dragon breathing fire on the back of his forearm.

"I'm sorry sir. I didn't know that a Dragon Warrior was in the town," the man stood and leaned over the bar to talk to him.

"Not just a Dragon Warrior," he pulled a small gold medallion handing on a leather cord from the inside of his shirt. "A Captain," he said and the bartender nodded vigorously.

"Would you like to stay here for the night? All room and board will be free, as well as any meals that you eat, for as long as you want to stay," the man nodded after a moment and smiled.

"You listen here old man. I'm not someone who fears people, no matter who they are. Thanks for the brew, it was good," he set the mug on the table and stood up, sliding a bronze coin onto the table.

"Where are you going?" the bartender asked as he walked away.

"To my room, I need some rest," he smiled and walked away from the bar.

"Make sure you sign before you go to your room!" the bartender shouted and the man smiled in the dim light of the candle lit room and waved at the bartender, letting the sleeve slide down a bit so the bartender could see the dragon tattoo. The man walked up the stairs and down the hall to his room. He stood outside the door and heard arguing from the room next to his.

"_I said two rooms Renji," _he heard a woman say and he raised an eyebrow. Obviously not lovers or family.

"_And your brother said that you are mine. I don't intend to leave you here alone with other men around,"_ the man, apparently Renji, said and there was a slap.

"_I guess that you're a bit jealous Renji. Get out of my room and go sleep downstairs or something,"_ the man pulled his hood up as the door opened and a man stumbled out with a bloody nose. "And you stay out!" the black haired female dragon slayer poked her head out as the red haired one walked down the stairs. She turned and caught sight of him. "What are you looking at?"

"Are you okay ma'am?" he asked, trying to be polite.

"I'm fine," she started to close the door and the man spoke up as he opened his.

"If I hear anything out of the ordinary I'm coming to help," he said and closed the door behind him without waiting for a reply. He heard the door close and pulled off his riding boots and sat down on the bed.

The bed was hard and lumpy, but you got used to things like that when you were on the road. Now it all made sense, the red haired man was there to protect the girl while she fought monsters and bandits. They weren't together as he had thought, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before she would give in. He rolled over and fell asleep without even taking off his weapons or clothes.

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**Tell me what y'all think about this and if I should post chapter 2 or not…depends all on y'all. That little button is your new friend, click it please…it's begging you.**


	2. First Meetings

**Wow, I'm glad that so many people are enjoying this. I hope that I can keep y'all captivated and happy with the story. I had two days of snow so I was off school ( I live in Oxford MS so when we get snow we get funky lol…7 freaking inches of real snow! I haven't seen that much snow since I was like 4). It was awesome, cause it gave me more time to write for y'all.**

**I will try to update again this weekend, but I am having knee surgery again, this time to get the pin removed from my knee. So I'll be out of school Friday, so hopefully I won't be too drugged up to write. **

**Here are the reviews.**

**To Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius- congrats on being the first reviewer for the story…maybe, I never really noticed it like that, I just don't like the way that he tries to get between Rukia and Ichigo *shrugs* oh well**

**To SsaPphire- I think brilliant over does it lol…maybe slightly smart and overly insane…but thank you anyway ;P. glad that you're addicted, that just means that you'll come back for more…I hope**

**To lunar- thank you…I'll try to make it long and interesting**

**To austmadman- thank you lol, I try my best to get away from the obvious stories…I try to give mine some…flair I guess you could say?**

**To DeviantHollow23- thank you, I enjoy making stews lol. The next post should be…NOW!**

**To BlackWhiteZangetsu- it's nice to see you again bro…I just thought I'd give my mind a break from the Operations for a while…but nope I'm doing both HAHA**

**To WhiteMoon'sFrozenTears- it's good to see you too…I think I can agree with y'all on the Hitsugaya/Karin move, I'll have to think of a way to get them both in there though…as for the dragon warrior thing…STAY OUTTA MY HEAD! It's freaking me out. :P**

**To CelesMaev- well that won't happen for awhile, but I would like to see it too…I imagine something like this O.o **

**To kai- I can agree with that too…hehe, hardcore Rukia…makes her sound like a pornstar.**

**To scr3am1ng1ns1l3nc3- how do you scream in silence? If I even read that right? I'm glad you like it though, and I shall keep going.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own bleach, never have never will…damn**

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Ichigo felt a knife in his stomach and a rough hand over his mouth. He opened his eyes lazily and saw the bartender above him. The bartender grinned his half toothless grin and moved to press the knife against his throat.

"Some Dragon Warrior Captain you are boy. Couldn't even stop me from cutting your throat," the bartender dragged him slowly to his feet. "You going to make a noise?" Ichigo shook his head and the man took his hand off Ichigo's mouth. Ichigo folded his arms as the man took a step back. "Don't move, I'm very quick. Now, what are you doing here?"

"Searching."

"For what?"

"That is of my knowledge and for me only," Ichigo said and the bartender grinned.

"Well since you are about to die I expect you'll tell me everything," Ichigo was on him a second later; left hand over his mouth, right hand holding a knife in his stomach up to the hilt.

"A little over confident aren't you? You made three big mistakes. One; you should have seen that I was still fully clothed and that I had all my weapons on me. Two: instead of tying me up you threatened me then let me stand free. Three; you both underestimated me and overestimated your ability to fight me. As for why I am here," he leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "I am here for the female dragon slayer," the man's eyes rolled back in his head as blood ran out his mouth.

Ichigo pulled the knife from the bartender's stomach and let him slide to the ground. He placed a finger over each eye and fire shot from his fingertips into the man's skull and melted his brain. Ichigo wiped his hands on the man's clothes as he searched his pockets and grabbed a few loose coins that he found as well as a key. He stood up and grabbed his boots, pulling them on as he walked from the room and locked the door behind him. He noticed that the door to Rukia's room was still closed and that it was still dark outside.

He walked at a normal pace down the stairs, as he pulled the hood over his head, to the bar and grabbed a mug and poured some ale into it. He quickly made a few packs with food and he sat down at a table in the corner and propped his boots up on the table and leaned back as he waited. He pulled a glove onto his left hand, hiding the dragon tattoo. He didn't have to wait long before the raven haired girl walked down the stairs and across the room.

"You're going to leave without your companion?" she whirled around and glared at him.

"That's none of your business," she snapped at him and tried to jerk the door open but it wouldn't budge.

"You need a key," Ichigo said and she looked up at the top of the door which had a peg in the ceiling with a lock on it.

"Great. When does the bartender get up?" Ichigo stood up and downed the last of his ale.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he set the mug on the bar.

"That is none of your business," she snapped as she turned to him.

"Can I go with you? A girl like you won't be very safe on her own," she stalked up to him and drew her sword pointing it at his throat.

"I'm not completely defenseless," she snapped and looked down when she felt a tug on her shirt. She saw a long knife pressed against her stomach.

"Not as defenseless as you think," he said quietly and she took the sword away from his throat.

"Fine. You can come along until the next city," Ichigo smiled and tucked the knife back into his sleeve.

"Excellent," he said and walked over to the door and unlocked it.

"RUKIA!" they heard a scream from upstairs.

"I think your companion is looking for you," Ichigo said and she walked out the door.

"I'll wait for you around back with our horses. Which one is yours?"

"I'll get him, he won't tolerate other people touching him," Ichigo said and closed the door in her face, locking it. He sat down at the bar just as the red haired man appeared.

"Hey, have you seen a small black haired woman?"

"Last night when she kicked you out of her room, but not since then," Ichigo said and Renji walked closer.

"My name is Prince Renji Abarai and I think that you're lying to me," Ichigo shrugged.

"Whether you think that or not doesn't matter to me," Renji grabbed the sleeve of his arm and pulled it off the bar, making him drop the mug of ale. "You're going to want to let go of me in three seconds," Ichigo said and Renji laughed.

"You think that you can beat me? I'm a dragon slayer, prince, and future husband of the Princess Rukia Kuchiki," Ichigo didn't even look at him.

"I don't care if you were the son of the High King Yamamoto himself," Ichigo said and moved at lightning speed. He used the back of the left hand, the one that Renji held, to smash into his face. Before he had a chance to let go Ichigo moved his hand behind his head, Renji's hand still on his arm, and grabbed a handful of hair and slammed his face into the counter, twice. Ichigo let Renji go and he slid to the floor, nursing a broken nose and split forehead.

"What the fuck?" Renji sputtered as Ichigo stood up.

"I said you had three seconds to let go of me," Ichigo tossed a key at him. "Keep hold of that. Now that I know who your companion is I can take her home," Ichigo kicked Renji in the head and stunned him. When Renji finally cleared his head and looked up the man was gone. Ichigo walked out the back door and found Rukia sitting on a white horse with a second brown horse right behind.

"What took you so long?"

"I had to take care of a problem," Ichigo said and went to get his warhorse. The black horse stamped the ground with his hoofs when Ichigo walked in. "Good boy," Ichigo said and quickly saddled him and swung himself into the saddle. "I'll brush you when we stop, I promise," Ichigo said softly in the horse's ear and the horse whinnied at him. Ichigo pressed his heels into the horse's flanks and the horse walked out and he joined Rukia.

"What problem was that?"

"Your partner was wondering where you were. Told him I hadn't seen you," Ichigo said and looked at her.

"What?"

"Aren't you taking the lead?" he asked and she nodded once before spurring her horse forward. Ichigo followed her, to the right and slightly back. They had been riding in complete silence for about an hour before she looked back at him.

"Why not just ride up here?" he came forward quietly the hood still over his head. "Why do you wear that hood?"

"Because I want to wear it," he said and went back to watching the road. Rukia couldn't see his face at all; she didn't know what he was watching or even if he had his eyes open. "Any other questions?"

"Yeah, what's your name?"

"If I tell you mine will you tell me yours?" Rukia thought about it for a moment then nodded. "Ichigo Kurosaki," he said and sat there as the horses walked.

"Rukia Kuchiki," she expected a reaction but was sadly mistaken.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Kuchiki," she laughed at that.

"No, no. Just Rukia. I'm not married," she said and the smile was replaced with a frown.

"Smile Rukia. You look prettier when you smile," he said and she looked over at him and noticed that he had his head turned to look at her; she found herself smiling.

"Better?" she asked sweetly and she saw a grin flash inside the hood before he turned back to the road.

"Yes," they road on for awhile before he spoke again. "So, Rukia Kuchiki, heir to the Kuchiki throne, what are you doing out here?"

"Looking for adventure and slaying dragons," she said and looked at him. "Why the sudden interest of what I do?"

"Just trying to make small talk," he said and she nodded.

"You're not much better company than Renji. He almost never shuts up, and you barely speak."

"Would you rather me barely speak or be loud and obnoxious?" she shrugged.

"I like silence sometimes, but not all the time," she said and this time he shrugged.

"Anytime you want to talk open your mouth and speak," he said and folded his arms, letting his horse do all the work. "I'm here and I don't mind."

"Okay," Rukia said and then slowly reached over.

"Don't touch my hood," he said and Rukia scowled.

"I just want to see your face," Rukia said. "What kind of traveling companion won't show his face?"

"The one who is a complete stranger to you," Ichigo said and turned so she could only see his mouth.

"Just remove the hood already," Rukia snapped and she watched as a small smile slowly spread across his face.

"Fine," he used his right hand to pull back his hood and she stared at him.

"Is that really your hair color?" she asked with a small laugh when she saw the spiked orange hair. Ichigo nodded and she laughed some more. A scowl appeared on his face and she laughed at that too. He stared at the road but left the hood down. She took some time to watch him as they rode. His face was well shaped and sort of handsome to her, in a rugged outlaw sort of way, and the scowl seemed to fit his face. His amber eyes seem to pierce her soul when he looked at her, and the orange hair made him seem like an angry person.

"Are you done staring?" he asked bluntly and she blushed but kept staring at him.

"Not yet."

"What are you trying to figure out?" he asked and looked at her. She was finding it hard to breathe while he stared at her.

"Whether a smile or a scowl suits your face more," she said with a small smile and he went back to staring at the road with a grunt, a scowl on his face. Rukia kept the smile on her face as she turned back to the road, leaving Ichigo alone to his thoughts.

He was good at taking notice of things and the girl next to him was no exception. He had been paying attention to her all morning thus far and found himself captivated. Her violet eyes and raven colored hair held most of his attention, but her face was captivating too. He liked to see the smile on her face. She was quite stunning to say the least, but she was already taken, so he kept his focus on the task at hand; delivering her to Dragon Warrior Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.

They had stopped some during the day to eat and rest the horses, but now that the sun was setting it was time to find a safe place to sleep. There were no towns or cities in sight and it was getting dark fast.

"You have no problem sleeping outside Dragon Slayer?" Ichigo asked and Rukia thought she heard a negative inflection on the words 'Dragon Slayer'.

"No, I have no problem sleeping in the woods with a complete stranger all alone where no one can help me," Rukia said and Ichigo gave her a sarcastic grin.

"If I wanted to hurt you I would have done it already. I had plenty of chances all day for that," he said and turned his horse into the woods. Rukia followed, ducking branches as they rode through the trees. They came to a small clearing and Ichigo dismounted, walking his horse around to find a good tree to tie him to.

When Ichigo and Rukia had taken care of their horses they set about making the camp. It was mid-July, so it was warm, but around here it got cold at night. Rukia gathered sticks and started to stack them into a teepee form, with bunches of smaller drier sticks under the teepee for kindling.

Ichigo got some pots from his pack and pulled out some vegetables. He took a water skin from his saddlebag and poured some into the pot. He cut up the vegetables and set them aside as he waited for Rukia to get the fire started. He looked around and shook his head.

"Need some help?" he asked and she looked up.

"Fuck you," she snapped and kept trying to light the fire with her flint and knife.

"While that sounds like a lot of fun," she glared up at him. "if you don't get that fire started soon we aren't going to eat," she stood up and tossed him the piece of flint.

"Fine then smart ass, you do it!" she almost screamed at him, annoyed and a little hurt that he was speaking to her so gruffly. He knelt down behind the wood where he knew she couldn't see and struck the flint with the knife, a small stream of fire rushing from a fingertip as the wood caught the small flame and was soon ablaze.

"How did you do that?" she asked as she stared at the roaring fire.

"I simply shielded the flame and fed some leaves and pine needles into the fire," he said and tossed the flint to her. She caught it and shook her head.

"Yeah, right," she said and went back to her pack while Ichigo placed the pot over the fire by means of three metal rods in the ground with a hook at the joint hanging above the fire. "So we're having vegetable stew?"

"No, I just have to go get some rabbits or something," he said and pulled a bow from his saddle and searched for a string to string the bow with.

"I have a package of dragon meat here," she said and pulled a package from her saddle bags. She missed Ichigo's wince when she mentioned dragon meat, but he took the package and set in on the small cutting board. He hesitated a moment before he cut the meat into little chunks and placed them in the pot. When the stew was done Ichigo produced some bowls and they ate the stew.

"This is good," Rukia said as she shoveled the food down. "The food at the palace is nothing like this and neither Renji nor I can cook this well," Ichigo grunted in reply as he ate. Rukia watched him as he stared into the fire, eating methodically as though his mind was somewhere else. "You okay? Ichigo?" he flinched a bit a looked at her.

"What?" he growled softly as though she had interrupted something.

"You okay?" she asked and he looked down at his bowl for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah," he set his bowl down and stood, walking over to his horse. He carried a long cloth covered object back to his seat. He sat down and drew a midnight black katana from an equally black scabbard. The hand guard was black as well and had an interesting design. The handle was black as well and there were a few links from a severed black chain attached to the bottom of the handle. She noticed something etched into blade.

"I'll take first watch," he said and stared out into the darkness, the black blade sat across his lap. Rukia nodded and got her blanket and set her pack out as a pillow. She lay down on the blanket and folded it over so she was covered.

"Wake me up in a few hours," she said and looked over at him from where she lay. He seemed to ignore her as he pulled his hood up and sat there, his hands on his knees. She rolled over and was soon asleep.

* * *

"_Hisana!"_ Rukia snapped awake and grabbed the arm that touched her; her other hand producing a blade. She felt someone grab her wrist and she looked around and then up, quickly letting go when she realized that it was Ichigo who was shaking her. When he noticed she was awake he let go and walked over to his horse to continue packing.

"You were supposed to wake me up to take watch," Rukia glared at his back as she rolled up her blanket and tucked it into her saddle bag which she placed back on the horse behind the saddle.

"You were sleeping, so I decided to let you sleep," he replied simply and turned to her. "It looked like you needed it after that little nightmare."

"What nightmare?" she asked turning red.

"Oh please. You were tossing and turning all night screaming. Who is Hisana?" he asked as he swung himself onto his horse.

"She was my sister," Rukia said quietly as she swung herself onto her horse. "She was killed ten years ago by a dragon and," she stopped and shook her head, easing her horse into a walk. Ichigo was quickly beside her and he placed a hand on her arm.

"You okay?" he asked and she nodded with a sniffle, wiping the tears away quickly with the back of her hand.

"Yeah. Why do you care anyway? You're a complete stranger," Ichigo took his hand away quickly and pulled his hood back up.

"Just because we're strangers doesn't mean we can't eventually become friends, or at least civilized acquaintances," he said with a Rukia smiled at that.

"I guess we can be friends," she said and they lapsed into a comfortable silence as they rode down the shaded road. Ichigo glanced up at the sky when a shadow passed overhead and then looked back to the road.

"I'm going to take a rest. Wake me up if anything happens," he said and leaned back against the saddle bag and crossed his arms over his chest. He started snoring softly a few moments later and Rukia shook her head. She stared at the road and saw a dark shadow cross in front of her. She resisted the strong urge to stop the horse and kept riding with her eyes to the sky. They soon came upon a small village with small fences for walls and no gate. There was one guard in old leather armor with some rusted metal on small parts of the leather breast plate.

"Ichigo," she scooted her horse closer and tapped him on the shoulder. He stirred for a moment before he started snoring again. "Ichigo," she stopped her horse and his stopped as well. He turned his head to her.

"Yes?" he asked slowly.

"We're in the next town," she snapped and he looked forward and nodded slightly.

"I know. This is bad," he said and grabbed the reins. He pressed his heels into the horse's flanks and his horse started forward.

"Why is it bad?" she asked as she rode beside him.

"I've been banned from this place," he said and she stopped her horse.

"Then why are we riding towards it?" she asked and he looked back at her and pointed. She saw four riders coming at them from the "walls" though they were still about a mile off. "We can get away from them," she said and Ichigo shook his head.

"It's too late. At the rate they are going they'll be here soon," he said and kept riding towards them.

"What are they going to do?"

"To you? If you tell them who you are probably nothing," he said and she thought he sounded worried.

"Bullshit. What would happen to us?" she asked again and grabbed his head pulling the hood back. He glared at her and she nearly laughed. _"There is worry in his eyes,"_ she thought to herself and he shook his head and sighed heavily.

"You they will probably rape until they get tired of you and kill you," Ichigo said and glared at the riders.

"What about you?" she asked and he smiled at her.

"They made that pretty clear. I go to prison, get tortured for five days, then I get hung from the tree in the center of the village," her mouth dropped open and he grinned.

"All that and you're smiling?" she asked and Ichigo nodded and pulled his hood back up.

"They wish they could kill me. Sometimes I wish someone could," he said the last part sadly and dug his heels into his horse's sides and they shot off towards the four riders before Rukia could make a comment; Rukia was close behind him.

"Halt!" one of them shouted as they got close to them. Ichigo and Rukia came to a stop and the men surrounded them.

"We just need to pass through," Rukia said and one of the guards came up behind her and touched her hair.

"You touch my mate again you lose your hand," Ichigo growled and the men laughed. Rukia shot him a glare but saw that he wasn't even looking at them. His horse danced closer to hers and he placed a hand on his sword.

"Oh really? So if I did this?" the man reached forward then reeled back and fell off the horse with a sharp scream of pain as his hand flew into the air. The others had their hands on their swords and three swords were at Ichigo's throat in an instant. Rukia turned to see the poor man in the dust, cradling the stump of his arm to his chest. Ichigo still had his eyes on the man in front of him and his left arm was stretched out, a short two foot knife in his hand. There wasn't any blood on the blade as he slowly slid the blade back into his sleeve.

"You are under arrest. Assault on the Lord Aizen's Soldiers is like assault on the Lord himself," the leader said and Ichigo snapped his head to him.

"Lord Sosuke Aizen? What are Aizen's soldiers doing here?" Ichigo asked and the man glared at him.

"The Lord Aizen has taken this city and is trying to bring peace to this war torn world," the guard said and Ichigo glanced at Rukia then pulled his hood down.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I demand to speak with Lord Aizen," he said and the guards looked at him and the two others glared and moved their swords closer.

"Fine. Follow me," the leader said and turned his horse back to the city. The other two men glared at him and sheathed their swords as they wheeled their horses around. Rukia looked over at Ichigo who had a serious look on his face which quickly turned into a scowl when he realized she was staring at him.

"What?" he asked her as they rode along behind the soldiers.

"You know this Aizen guy?" Ichigo nodded slowly. "Is he the one that banished you from this village?"

"No, that was the previous lord. Aizen is the lord of another city, but he apparently took over this one as well. Most of the lords are fighting to gain more lands now that war is here. They are taking advantage of the war to take lands and govern them," Ichigo said and Rukia raised an eyebrow

"How do you know this?" she asked and Ichigo looked at her once more as they passed through the gate.

"It is my business to know these things," he said and the leader stopped and dismounted.

"My men will take the horses to the pasture to let them graze. If you'll both come with me," he said.

"No, we'll take the horses. The horses won't allow anyone else to touch them," Ichigo said and dismounted, walking his horse over to the pasture, Rukia right behind.

"What was that you said on the road?" she asked and he turned to her.

"When?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

"When you said I was your mate," she asked and folded her arms under her breasts, pushing them up slightly.

"Oh, a quick thought to give me an excuse for killing someone if they touched you," he said and she blinked in surprise at the possessive tone in his voice.

"Oh. Thank you. I don't think anyone would be that kind to a person that they just met," Rukia said and Ichigo turned to her with a smile on his face.

"I thought that's what friends did; keep each other safe," he said and walked towards the men. "Just make sure you keep your mouth shut around Aizen please," he said seriously and a scowl was suddenly on his face.

"Okay. One more thing though. Only animals we say are mates, humans are married," Ichigo missed a step before he straightened his back and walked on.

"Then my wife you shall be known as whenever we stop at a village or city. As I already said, it was a thought to keep you out of trouble," he said and she raised an eyebrow as she followed him. The guard led them to the town center where a group of small buildings was built around a statue. Rukia could see a food seller, a blacksmith, "potions", jewelry, clothes, a traveler's store, and a small book store.

They entered the Inn and walked up the flight of stairs to the second floor where the guard knocked on a wooden door that had a dragon carved on it. Rukia glared daggers at the door and Ichigo half expected the door to burst into flames at any moment.

"Come in!" they heard someone call and the guard opened the door. They walked into the room and Rukia saw a brown haired man with glasses sitting behind a desk that had two chairs in front of it. He looked up and his eyes widened as he put the quill in the holder and slid his chair back, standing up. Ichigo motioned Rukia to stay back by the door.

"_Lord_ Aizen," Ichigo said putting an emphasis on the title and Aizen got the hint.

"Lord Kurosaki," he said as he stood. Rukia's eyebrows rose at that one. "What brings you here to my new town?" Aizen asked as both men clasped each other's right forearms in greeting.

"I am along for the ride," he said and motioned with his head at Rukia.

"And who is this lovely thing that you have found?" Aizen said and looked at Ichigo when he growled softly. "I'm sorry, I have over stepped my bounds there. Your new mate?" he whispered to Ichigo who shook his head.

"A friend that I just made. She doesn't know about me," he whispered back and Aizen shook his head.

"You know what Yamamoto said," Aizen whispered and Ichigo sighed.

"I know; no friends, only mates and no contact with mates after that one night," he said and Aizen nodded. "I don't care though."

"So the great Dragon Warrior Captain has feelings after all?" Ichigo bared his teeth in a snarl and Aizen grinned. "I'm just joking Ichigo," Ichigo snorted and Aizen sighed. "Fine, don't believe me. Now, what are you doing here?" he said out loud and then sat back down. Ichigo took a seat and motioned to Rukia to sit next to him. Rukia looked at Aizen more closely and noticed a faint scar across the left side of his jaw.

"We were just passing through when your new men saw us. They had orders to capture me and anyone with me," Ichigo said and Aizen looked to him from Rukia who was smiling sweetly at him.

"Why were there orders to capture you?" Aizen asked and Ichigo grimaced.

"I killed a Shadow Murderer," Ichigo said and Rukia looked at him.

"What's a Shadow Murderer?" she asked and Ichigo and Aizen shared a short look before Ichigo nodded and Aizen turned to her.

"A Shadow Murderer is what you would call a Dragon Slayer," Aizen said and Rukia raised her eyebrows then turned swiftly to glare at Ichigo.

"You killed a Dragon Slayer? What the hell is wrong with you? Dragons Slayers are the only people who can rid the world of those beasts," she said and Aizen growled at her.

"Watch what you say girl," he said and Ichigo shook his head.

"Not all dragons are evil Rukia. I know a dragon killed your sister, but a dragon saved my life once," he said and Aizen nodded.

"Mine too miss?"

"Kuchiki, Rukia Kuchiki," she said and Aizen blinked and surprise clouded his face a moment before it cleared.

"Nice to meet you milady," Aizen said and Rukia rolled her eyes.

"I'm no longer a lady. I gave that up to become a Dragon Slayer," she said and Aizen looked at Ichigo.

"Well, never the less we shall give you both rooms here at the inn; we only have one though," Aizen said and Ichigo stood, Aizen and Rukia doing so as well.

"That's fine, we'll share the room. I'm sure you're very busy Lord Aizen," Ichigo said and Aizen looked between the two and nodded.

"Very well Ichigo. Come back and see me whenever you want," he tossed Ichigo the keys and sat down to start on his work again. Ichigo nodded getting his meaning and walked out of the room with Rukia beside him.

"Do you know where you're going?" she asked and he nodded.

"I've stayed here many a time, but Aizen's palace in the Dark Mountains is much better," he said and Rukia looked at him like he was crazy. "What?" he asked, catching her look.

"Those mountains are filled with dragons though," she said defensively and Ichigo nodded.

"The dragon who saved Aizen's life gave him the palace when the original lord who built it abandoned it because of the dragons," he opened the door to their room and let her go in first. There was a chair and one bed with a washbasin and mirror against one wall. There was a small place for trunks or saddle bags and a small window. Ichigo sat down on the chair and Rukia took the bed. It was getting dark outside and Ichigo watched as Rukia started to yawn as sleep started to take over her body.

Ichigo stood up and walked over to her and leaned down. He tucked his right arm under her knees and pulled the sheet back. He laid her feet down and dragged the sheets over her body. By the time he had gotten her into the bed she was out like a light. He hesitated a moment when he saw a small frown appeared on her face. He kissed her forehead softly before turning away, missing the smile that came to her face; he pulled his armor from his pack.

His armor was a leather chest plate with metal rings sewn onto it. He had metal on his forearms and shoulders as well as his thighs. The leather had a blue tint to it and the metal shone with the light. Ichigo pulled on the armor and walked down to Aizen's office, locking the door behind him.

"Dragon Warrior Captain Aizen," he greeted Aizen, with a fist to his heart, who turned from the window, armor on as well.

"Dragon Warrior Captain Kurosaki," Aizen greeted him back with the same gesture and then turned back to the window as Ichigo joined him. "It is a great night for hunting," Aizen said and Ichigo nodded.

"I just have to be back before dawn," Ichigo said and Aizen nodded in agreement.

"Very well. We might as well get started," they walked outside into the warm night with a cool breeze blowing.

* * *

**Well I hope y'all liked it…not really much else to say so…Review please. :D it would make me happy, and the dragons as well. :P**


	3. Learning About the World

**Hi everyone. The surgery was a success…I am now one less pin in my knee…but we're back to square one…or should I say crutch one x2. Yep, I'm back on crutches. The meds really messed me up good this time. My parents said that I had full conversations with them…but I don't remember anything. But I had this written so here ya go guys.**

**I am also back in therapy, so there goes another hour of my day. I learned the I have 1 cm of swelling on my knee and I've lost 4 cm of muscle on my left thigh. ouch**

**The reviews are great, keep em comin folks and I'm pretty sure that if you keep them coming some of the characters will be coming too :P**

**To rukijade- Rukia won't find out about Ichigo for a while. She'll have her suspicions because it is Rukia, but she won't find out for a while.**

**To Flurry of Freezing Flames- no, I never heard of Monster hunter at all.**

**To BlackWhiteZangetsu- well, you know me…I'm full of twists and turns :P**

**To Kurochi Agintohana- thank you, once again…brilliant may be a stretch :D,but thanks.**

**To bcsaturdai- thank you for the well wishes, here is the chapter**

**To scr3am1ngs1ns1l3nc3- reminds me of me…except I'm not silent. Lol**

**To WhiteMoon'sFrozenTears- yes I got snow haha, no the black horse was Ichigo's the brown was a pack horse…Zangetsu is the sword that Ichigo carries, not the horse.**

**To Thornspike- yeah I know…I love writing…especially twists. :D**

**To MHplayer749- thank you, I try to be original…sometimes I get some help, but I try.**

**To lionkit- thank you, hope you stick around.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my brain…and sometimes I'm not even sure about that :P**

* * *

Ichigo walked into the room and took off his armor, sitting down in the chair and setting the armor on his lap. He watched as Rukia slept, his mind wandering. He set the armor on the floor and leaned back in the chair as the sun's first rays kissed the horizon. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before he snapped them open again, a scream echoing in the background of his mind. He noticed that Rukia was walking around, packing all their belongings.

"How long have you been up?" Ichigo asked as he stretched with a yawn.

"About an hour," she looked at him with a glare which quickly turned into worry.

"You look like hell. What's wrong?" she asked as she walked over.

"I'm fine," he snapped and she took a step back as he quickly snatched his armor from the floor and put it in his pack. He strapped his sword to his hip and pulled his pack on.

"Are we ready?" Rukia asked softly and Ichigo nodded.

"Let's go," he said roughly and walked out the door. Rukia followed him down to Aizen's office and Ichigo poked his head in without letting Rukia see in. Aizen sat at his desk with no shirt on, a black dragon tattoo on his upper left arm. "Lord Aizen," he called and Aizen looked up.

"Leaving?" he asked and Ichigo nodded. "Very well. I guess I'll see you at the meeting in three months,' he said and Ichigo nodded.

"I won't make you stand to say good bye sir, I just wanted to let you know we were leaving," Aizen nodded and went back to work as Ichigo backed out of the room.

"What meeting?" Rukia asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"It's nothing, just a bunch of us old friends meeting for the first time in years," Ichigo said as they walked outside into the sun and towards the horses.

"Where are we going?" Rukia asked and Ichigo stared at her as he saddled his black warhorse.

"I'm following you remember?" he said and Rukia nodded.

"You remember that I said until the next town?" Ichigo thought for a moment before he climbed onto his horse.

"But this, my dear lady Kuchiki, is not a town by definition."

"Then what is it?" she asked as she climbed onto her horse.

"It is a mere village," he replied and kicked his horse. Rukia laughed and rode after him.

"Do we have enough supplies for the next town?" she asked when she caught up and he shrugged.

"That all depends on where we're going," Ichigo said with a smile and Rukia thought for a moment before replying.

"Seireitei City," she said and Ichigo's smile dropped from his face. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing," he said, the smile back on his face but Rukia scowled.

"What did I say about scowling?" he asked and she huffed and looked at the road. Ichigo felt like he was being watched. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up into the air. He saw a small speck in the sky and he blinked. His vision suddenly became better and he saw the faint outline of a dragon.

"What are you looking at?" Rukia asked and Ichigo blinked again before looking at her.

"I thought I saw something," he said and then smiled. "First one to that hill wins," he said and pointed to one of the hills.

"You're on," she screamed and kicked her horse which shot off. Ichigo grinned and kicked his horse, urging him forward.

"Come on boy, you can do it," he said in the horse's ear and the horse whinnied in response. Ichigo came up on Rukia and they were neck in neck as they reached the bottom of the hill. They raced up to the top and Ichigo slowed down, letting Rukia win by a full length.

"I won!" she screamed and Ichigo smiled at her jubilation over a small game. He never remembered smiling this much before meeting her.

"Congrats," he said and then the horse beneath him screamed and stood on his two hind legs before crashing over on his side, pinning Ichigo's left leg to the ground.

"Ichigo!" Rukia dismounted and ran over to help Ichigo pull himself from under the horse which had a bolt in its side. He stood on both legs, an arm around Rukia's shoulders as she helped support him. He groaned in pain and looked up to see six men walk over the crest of the hill.

"Well, it seems that I missed you but got the poor beast," one of the men said and Ichigo realized that he held a crossbow. One other man had a crossbow as well and he had it aimed at Ichigo. "You have a fine girl there with you. You don't mind if we share do you?" he asked and Ichigo snarled at him.

"I will kill you if you touch her," Ichigo said and Rukia looked at him in surprise. Renji might have said that too, but she had a feeling that Ichigo actually meant harm to these men rather than just a threat to scare them and he would try to protect her, from everything, and succeed.

"Aren't we the big hero today? We can fix that," the second man with the crossbow said and fired the bolt. It whistled through the air and struck Ichigo in the left shoulder as he moved to dodge it. Rukia fell to the ground where Ichigo had pushed her down.

"I got her," one of the men said and she drew her sword while she was on the ground and swung it at the man who stepped back and cursed as blood flew away from his palm where the blade bit him. He drew a broadsword and the other three drew weapons as well. One had an axe, the second pulled a spear off his back, and the last had a pair of knives.

"I want her, so go get her," the leader snapped and the others advanced on her as Ichigo pushed himself to his feet.

"Ichigo!" she screamed as two of the men grabbed her by the arms and held her. Ichigo's head snapped up and the leader stepped back when he saw Ichigo's eyes. Ichigo stood up and yanked the bolt from his shoulder and was on the man in a flash. Ichigo grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air, squeezing until there was a sharp snap. Ichigo let the man fall to the ground and he drew his black katana.

"Get him!" the other man with the crossbow yelled and two men ran at Ichigo. He ducked under their arms and ran at Rukia. The two men let her go and he grabbed her around the waist. She screamed in surprise and he placed her on top her horse.

"Go!" he shouted and she shook her head. "I'll catch up with you in the next town!" he slapped the horse's ass and Rukia's horse shot off down the road, the pack horse right behind. By the time she was coherent enough to stop the horse she was miles from the hill…and Ichigo.

Ichigo turned back to the men who were standing there, weapons drawn. He twirled his sword in his right hand and stood there, waiting. The men cowered under his gaze; his pupils were now red and just slits, like a snake.

"What are you?" one of the bandits asked and Ichigo pulled his shirtsleeves up and they saw the dragon on his forearm.

"He's a Dragon Warrior," one of the men said and dropped his weapon and sprinted off. Ichigo drew three knives and flung them at the man with a look of pure hate on his face before he turned back to the other men who watched as the knives hit their fellow bandit. One knife hit him in the back of the right shoulder; the second hit him square in the back breaking his spine and the last one hit him in the back of the head.

The other men trembled as they watched Ichigo stalk towards them. The man with the axe stepped forward and swung at Ichigo who blocked the swing with his forearm against the wood, snapping the wood and sending the axe head flying, and swung his sword. The sword caught the man in the left side and went halfway through his stomach before Ichigo put both hands on the handle and ripped the sword through the rest of him, cutting him in half. As the man fell to the ground Ichigo stepped over him and went after the other three.

The man with the spear stabbed at Ichigo who dodged and grabbed the spear and sliced through it. He tossed the point to the ground and ran the man through the chest. As he pulled the sword out he screamed and turned to the man with two knives, one left in his hands. Ichigo reached back and pulled the knife from his back and spun on his heels and threw the knife at the man with the crossbow who was trying to reload. The knife hit him right in the throat and he fell, choking on his own blood.

Ichigo turned, throwing his sword high into the air, and grabbed the man by the right wrist as he tried to stab him in the back with the knife. Ichigo turned so his back was to the man with his elbow resting on his right shoulder, the palm twisted to face the sky. Ichigo pulled down sharply and heard a crack as the elbow snapped and the knife went flying to the ground. He then elbowed the man in the stomach and when he bent over Ichigo used his left arm to grab the man around the throat and he brought the man's arm around his chest and stood straight. He pulled back and down sharply on his head and snapped his neck.

Ichigo turned to the last man who had the sword in his hand. He charged at Ichigo who grabbed his sword by the handle as it came down and blocked the strike. He swung his arm over his head, the blade passing by his left side as he slashed at the man from his left shoulder to the right hip. The man dodged and Ichigo kept on the attack, swinging the sword at the man's head. The man somehow jumped forward and rolled under the sword and came up behind Ichigo.

Ichigo turned; sword raised over his head, and grunted, his eyes going wide. He looked down and saw the two foot spear head in his stomach about halfway up the length. He grabbed the man's arm with his left hand and slashed downwards with the other. The man's head rolled across the ground and Ichigo fell to his knees and stared at the darkening sky.

* * *

Rukia rode up to the gate of the next town; the freezing rain pelting her with large drops even as she rode to a stop. It was dark outside and very cold; the rain had started almost as soon as she turned to go back to Ichigo. The rain had been so hard that she rode on to the town. Her eyes were red and she couldn't tell which drops on her face was rain and which were tears.

"Can I help you? The gates aren't supposed to be open at night," the guard called down from the stone wall above the gate.

"I am Rukia Kuchiki; I wish entrance for the night," she said and the guard immediately called for the gate to be open for the princess of Seireitei City. "Thank you. My brother will be very glad that you helped me," she said and quickly rode into the town. She found the nearest Inn and put the horses into two of the stalls.

She made sure that both horses were comfortable before she pulled her hood up and walked inside. The noise of a good Inn greeted her as she walked to the bar. The bartender came over to her and she pushed her hood back a bit so her violet eyes shone at him.

"I want a room," she slid over two gold coins. "The best one you have," she said quietly and he leaned on the counter to talk to her.

"And what would a pretty girl like you need a room for? You can stay in my room," he said and she glared at him.

"And my husband is on his way," the bartender leaned closer and she could smell the liquor on his breath.

"What your man don't know won't hurt him," he said and Rukia clenched her fists to keep from hitting him. He placed a hand on one of hers and patted it.

"Get your filthy hands off me before you regret it," she snapped and slipped another gold coin onto the table. The bartender looked down at the coins and shook his head.

"That's not enough for the best rooms," he said and Rukia glared at him.

"My name is Rukia Kuchiki, younger sister of the Lord Kuchiki of Seireitei City," she said and the bartender snorted.

"That supposed to impress me? It's five gold for a room," he said and she fished out the necessary gold from the purse in her cloak.

"Where is my key?" she asked and the man handed her a small brass key.

"Third floor, the door on the left," he said and she nodded before walking up the stairs. She heard cat calls from behind her but she ignored them.

"Assholes," she muttered to herself and opened her door. She closed the door behind her and locked it before she dropped her pack to the floor and sat on the bed. "Ichigo," she whimpered and held her face in her hands as she realized that she might never see him again. She laid down on the bed and was soon asleep. Her eyes snapped open and she heard someone trying to get into the room.

Rukia climbed out of the bed and drew her sword, walking to the door. The door swung open and she dropped her sword on the intruder. The man, she could tell by the height and build but it was too dark to see the face, grabbed her wrist with one hand and the other arm snaked around her waist. The man pushed her back against the wall and she waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark so she could see her attacker.

"So this is the welcome that I get when I come back to you?" she heard the man say and she recognized the voice.

"Renji?" she gripped the sword harder. "I thought I left you behind," she said and he laughed.

"You can never get rid of me baby," he said and kissed her. She screamed against his lips and pushed at him. "What's wrong Rukia?" he asked in a sickly sweet voice and she gagged and spit on the floor.

"You are disgusting," she snapped and tried to pry her hands loose from his grasp. Renji squeezed her wrist and she gasped and dropped the sword. Renji used his left hand to hold both of hers to the wall above her head and his right hand worked itself over her breasts, squeezing and massaging her.

"Am I?" he asked and she glared at him and kept her mouth shut wanting to moan at the feeling peircing her body, but wanting to scream at who was making her feel that way.

"Let go of me," she snapped and Renji grinned at her.

"No, I don't think I will," he said and kissed her again. Renji let go of her wrists and pressed her against the wall, her arms going limp as she realized she couldn't get away. Rukia felt tears in her eyes and, much to her surprise, she thought of Ichigo. Renji suddenly disappeared and she slid down the wall to the floor. She heard the door close and then saw a shadow kneel in front of her. She threw a punch and felt it connect with something. She threw another punch and this time her hand was caught by a much stronger and rougher one and held softly.

"This is the thanks I get for coming back and saving you?" her head snapped up in surprise and she saw Ichigo kneeling there, a playful scowl on his face.

"Ichigo?" she launched herself at him and hugged him fiercely, feeling her body get wet along the front as she hugged him. "It is you," she cried in both surprise and happiness and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Come on, you look tired," he picked her up and set her on the bed. She never let go of him and he smiled as he carefully pried her hands loose. She sat on the bed and watched him as he lit some candles and the room was flooded with light.

"Ichigo," she gasped at his appearance. His clothes were wet and covered in mud and what looked like blood was dried on his shirt. She stood up and walked over to him, touching his back. She felt him jerk slightly and she grimaced. "Sit down," she said and took his hand.

"You're safe now," he said and she shook her head.

"Sit down Ichigo," she tugged him over to the bed but he pushed her so she sat down.

"Stay. I'll fix this," he said and walked over to his pack which lay by the door. Rukia jumped to her feet and almost threw him onto the bed.

"Sit down," she snapped and he did. "Take your clothes off," Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her and she turned red. "I can't very well sew up your wounds while you have a shirt on can I?"

"Ah," he slowly stripped out of his shirt and she saw him wince in pain. There was a bandage on his left forearm, but she ignored it for the moment.

"Pants too," she said and he did as he was told. Rukia stood there for a moment, needle in one hand thread in the other as she admired him. He cleared his throat and, with a small blush, she sat next to him. "When I'm done you can put on clean pants, but you have to leave the shirt off to let the air get to the wounds," she heated the needle in the flame of a candle before she moved to sit at his back.

She slowly stuck the needle in his back and sewed up the small knife wound before she moved to his stomach. She sewed up the wound slowly, admiring the feel of his muscles.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked with a smile and she jerked her hand away as if burned, realizing that she was done and had been running her hand over his abs.

"Thank you for saving me from that guy," she said and he nodded.

"Not a problem," he replied and pulled on a pair of clean dry pants. He sat down and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her down to stradle his lap. She yelped in surprise but leaned into him.

"What happened to your arm?" she asked worriedly and tried to lift away the bandage.

"Nothing," he said quickly and grabbed her wrists. He slowly brought her closer and she felt his breath on her lips.

"What are you doing?" she asked and he gave her a small smile which made her heart skip a beat.

"Thanking you for being alive and waiting for me," he pressed his lips against hers softly, half expecting to be hit or kicked, but to his surprise, and hers, she kissed him back just as softly. Ichigo pressed harder against her lips and Rukia licked his lips as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth for a moment before he pulled back. Rukia moaned and slapped a hand over her mouth in surprise as her eyes widened. "Nice moan."

"Shut it," she slapped his chest and he chuckled. He wanted to kiss her again, but he felt himself getting aroused by a simple kiss and frankly it scared the shit out of him though he wanted to do it again.

"Was that your first kiss?" Ichigo asked instead with a small smile and she nodded.

"Except for when Renji kissed me against my will, so I'll fix that statement and say that that was the first kiss that I ever accepted from anyone and the first time I kissed someone," she said with a small blush and Ichigo laughed softly as he carefully moved her and laid her down on the bed and leaned over her.

"Not bad, but I think you could use some practice," she glared at him for a moment even though she was secretly happy that he thought she was a good kisser.

"Would you like to teach me?" she leaned in and her breath rushed over his lips as she whispered to him.

"Get some sleep Rukia," he said laughing and placed a kiss on her forehead. He stood up and locked the door before he walked over to the chair.

"Where are you going?" she asked and he sat in the chair.

"Sleeping. I'll make sure that no one comes in here. I had enough time with the bartender before I could come see you," he said and blew out the candles. Rukia blushed at his words and rolled over, sliding under the covers. She rolled over to face the wall and thought about Ichigo, the kiss still burning her lips and forehead.

"_Do I like him? I mean, he makes me laugh; I've smiled more around him than I do my own brother. I was worried about him when he wasn't here. I helped to sew him up, and I let him kiss me. Better yet, I kissed him back, and I didn't mind that he kissed me without my permission. I just met him, yet I feel safe when I'm around him, and it seems as if he actually cares about me,"_ she tugged the sheets closer to her chin and rolled over to stare at him for a few minutes before she fell asleep. _"I'll keep my eye on him and see where this goes."_

Ichigo meanwhile sat in the chair as he watched the door. He found his thoughts traveling to the girl who was sleeping on the bed in front of him._ "This is weird. I met her only a few days ago yet I already feel attached. I don't know what these feelings are, and for once I'm afraid. I fear no man, no weapon, but I fear her; I fear losing her. Why did I kill the bartender for talking about her like that? Why did I almost kill her friend because he kissed her? Why did I kiss her, I mean yeah I was glad that she was okay and she did sew me up pretty good, but still. What made me want to travel with her? I've smiled more in the past two days than I have in the last 17 years. I'll keep her in my sight and we'll see where this goes. Maybe I can make her like me too."_

Ichigo kept his eyes on either the door or the sleeping girl on the bed. After a while he stood and put some water into the stone basin by the wall and used a rag and some soap and carefully washed the blood and dirt from his body. Sometime towards dawn he heard someone trying to open the door. He stood up and grabbed his sword.

"Lady Kuchiki! Please open the door," Rukia woke up at the call and looked over at Ichigo who was still shirtless.

"What's going on?" she asked as she climbed out of the bed.

"The city guard is here," Ichigo said and motioned to their packs. "Get cleaned up and changed, quickly," he said and she gaped at him. She felt a flutter in her stomach and she swallowed.

"You expect me to strip and wash in front of you?" Ichigo looked at her with no emotion on his face, which shocked her.

"We don't have time to argue. The city guard's here and we need to stay clean for as much of our journey as possible," he said and turned back to the door.

"That doesn't mean that I have to bath now," she said and Ichigo shrugged.

"Then smell like you slept in wet clothes all night and then rolled in cow shit," he said and grinned to himself.

"Well what about you?" Rukia asked and he smiled at her.

"Washed last night while you slept."

"Oh," she then noticed that the dried blood was gone from his body as well as the dirt, but the bandage was still on his arm. "Fine. I guess it's only fair. I mean, I did get to see you naked last night," she said and quickly turned away so he wouldn't see her blush as she remembered how big his dick was, even though he wasn't erect, how his muscle felt under her fingers, how fit he was. She was getting all hot and felt a tingling in her stomach just thinking about him and she shivered.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to look," he said and she felt herself saddened. _Does he not find me attractive at all? Am I too small for his tastes? _She stripped off her shirt, leaving her chest bare to the cold air. Her nipples darkened and stiffened as the cold air peppered her skin.

"Don't you think I'm pretty?" she asked with a small pout and Ichigo turned to look at her and turned red, his eyes widening.

"Yes, you are very pretty. A little small, but still pretty," he said and turned back to the door quickly. Rukia glared and her eye ticked at the 'small' comment.

"Rukia! Open up now before we have to break down the door and come in there my dear!" she glared at the door and then got the washbasin ready.

"It's not polite to not reply," Ichigo stated as he watched the door and Rukia growled.

"Fine," she said to Ichigo and then screamed at the door. "Fuck you Renji Abarai!" Ichigo chuckled and Rukia went back to washing.

"That's it. We're coming in!" Renji yelled and kicked the door which rattled but didn't break. Rukia quickly pulled on some clean clothes and emptied the stone basin of the water.

"Okay Ichigo, I'm ready. How are we getting out of here?" she asked and walked over to stand next to him.

"Is all our stuff packed?" he asked and Rukia nodded. "Okay, well first we need new horses and a new weapon for you."

"What's wrong with my sword?" Rukia asked and Ichigo handed her his.

"Compare the two," he said and she did. Ichigo's sword was lighter and it seemed strong. She swung it a few times and liked the way it whistled through the air. It was much easier to swing compared to her current katana and she liked it.

"Where did you get this?" she asked and he smiled at her as he slowly took his katana from her hands.

"An old friend is a great sword maker," he replied and she held onto his forearm with her left hand and ran the fingers of her right hand over the side of the blade slowly. She squeezed his arm and felt his pulse race in his wrist as her fingers ran over the etching on the blade.

"What is this?" she asked and he led her over to the window where light from the sun's first rays were pouring in. He tilted the blade so it caught the sun and she saw a name on the blade. "Zangetsu," she read and he grinned.

"That's right. I'm going to get my friend to make you a sword," he said and slowly slid his blade back into its sheath and walked to the door. He could hear a discussion outside and he walked over to Rukia. "Give me your pack," he said and she did so. Ichigo opened the window and looked down.

"It's three stories down," she said and Ichigo looked up at her before he tied a length of rope to their packs and lowered them to the ground.

"Packs taken care of," he said and let the rope go so it dropped to the ground.

"Great, now how do we get down?" she asked and Ichigo motioned her forward.

"Climb onto my back," he said and she raised an eyebrow. "I can carry us down," she shook her head but climbed on. "You are light," he said and she smacked his arm playfully, not really hurt by his words.

"I am not," she snapped as Ichigo climbed onto the window sill and turned around. He slowly started to climb down and Rukia clung to him. He looked over his shoulder at her and saw that she was pure white and shaking. Her grip on him was choking him and he gave her a small smile which made Rukia stop breathing. He kept climbing down and Rukia's grip tightened.

"Rukia," he said softly and she looked deep into his amber eyes. "I'm not going to let you fall," he said and she nodded but kept her grip tight. "Just look into my eyes," he said and she did so as he kept climbing down the wall. He smiled at her and looked down and she did too, only to find Ichigo's feet on the ground.

"Thank you," she said quietly as she let go and dropped to the ground and Ichigo smiled at her.

"You're welcome. Now let's go before they find out that we're missing," Ichigo said and picked up his pack.

"Rukia!" they looked up and saw Renji glaring down at them. "Hold on Rukia! I'm coming for you!" his head disappeared.

"Too late," Rukia said and grabbed her pack. "Let's get the horses," she said and ran towards the barn. Ichigo quickly caught up to her and grabbed her by the arms.

"We can't get the horses," Ichigo said and tugged her towards the northern gate.

"Why not?" Rukia asked as she was dragged along with him.

"They can track humans, but while we are on foot we have a chance to escape and make ourselves hidden in the crowd until I can make a trap and kill them," he dragged her into the market and she ripped her arm loose.

"Who can track us?" she nearly screamed while trying to stay calm.

"The Seekers," Ichigo said quietly where only she could hear and Rukia barked a laugh at him as he searched the crowd.

"Seekers?" the nearest people around them backed off a ways and stared at the girl who dared to utter the word. "You expect me to believe that Seekers are real? I've been around a lot but I've never heard of these Seekers before except in bedtime stories to scare me when I was little," Ichigo made shushing motions but Rukia ignored him.

"Because most sane people don't mention the Seekers," Ichigo said, still being quiet, and Rukia laughed at him and more people started to give them a wide berth.

"I suppose that if you want me to believe in Seekers then you want me to believe in the other bedtime stories too? You know, the ones that talk about Replicators, how Readers can read your thoughts and control your mind, Shades can become invisible, and Dragon Warriors are dragons that can turn human and are powerful enough to destroy a city the size of Seireitei with a single thought. Those stories?" Ichigo just stared at her with a sad look on his face which was quickly wiped away, but the pain in his eyes stayed. She glared at him.

"Why won't you believe me?" he asked as he stared into her eyes and she snorted.

"I'm not 10 anymore Ichigo. I don't believe in those stories anymore."

"They aren't stories Rukia," Ichigo said, anger lacing his voice.

"Yes they are. My sister told me many stories of heroes who fought and killed these dark creatures. Replicators, Readers, Seekers, Dragon Warriors, Shades; the Dragon Warriors are nothing but ruthless brutes who kill for no reason other than to kill. That is what all the stories say," she said and by this time there was a nice clear spot about 20 feet wide were the people had backed away from them.

"Have you ever met one before?" Ichigo asked and Rukia laughed again.

"They don't exist Ichigo," she said and he stood up and looked around.

"Then why is everyone backing away from you at the mention of these stories?" he asked and Rukia looked around. "I thought that you trusted me. I have no reason to lie to you," Ichigo said sadly and turned away and disappeared into the crowd, his green cloak billowing behind him.

"I do trust you!" she shouted suddenly and ran after him. "Ichigo!" she called but no one answered her. She looked around wildly, not knowing what to do for the first time in her life. She turned around, searching for him, but saw nothing. She tried to pick out the brilliant orange hair, but realized that he had probably pulled his hood up.

Rukia wandered aimlessly as she looked for Ichigo in the crowd. She felt tears creep into her eyes as she felt pain enter her heart. She wanted to cry, even though she hadn't cried since her sister died, she wanted to cry because she lost a friend. Ichigo had helped her out; he had saved her life, well her virginity at least, a few times. She felt her heart throb in pain and realized something that she never thought was possible. Could she, _The_ Rukia Kuchiki, the Lady and heir of Seireitei City, actually be in love, with a mere man and not a prince?

It didn't seem possible, but she figured she was in love after thinking about it for a moment. She stumbled into an alley and leaned against a wall as tears rose unbidden into her eyes. She slid slowly to the ground and dragged her knees to her chest and cried into them. After a short time she wiped the tears from her face, stood up, and walked back into the crowd. Suddenly the crowd parted and she found herself staring at a man with a green cloak and a hood over his face shading his eyes but left his mouth visible.

"Ichigo?" the man grinned and drew a sword from his sheath. Rukia took a step back when she realized that it wasn't Ichigo. He took a step forward and Rukia felt her mind weaken at a sudden touch. She looked at him with a blank stare and a sudden picture of Ichigo smiling floated into her mind. Her eyes cleared and she looked around.

"What the hell?" the man growled in a rough voice and lifted his hood back. She saw the snakelike nose and a forked tongue. The man was in his mid thirties and had multiple scars on his face. With a sudden jolt she realized that the bedtime stories were real. A group of guards circled around her and the two men who barely stood ten steps away. The crowds quickly dispersed as the fifteen guards armed with spears and sword surrounded her.

"Oh no," she whimpered to herself and the man looked at her with a gleam in his grey eyes with slit pupils like a lizard. He stalked forward and she again felt an intrusive presence in her mind. She felt thoughts of surrender enter her mind and she quickly thought of Ichigo and her mind cleared.

"How does she keep slipping from your grasp?" the Seeker asked as a second man walked up and she recognized the looked of a Reader. The man was young and very handsome. He wore a bright red cloak and left the hood down. She spotted the red and gold snake on both men; the Reader had his on his right cheek and the Seeker had his on the left side of his neck.

""I don't know," the Reader replied and took a step forward and she felt another presence in her mind. She quickly threw up a picture of Ichigo and the man smiled.

"She keeps thinking about a man that she apparently loves, someone named, Ichigo," the Reader said and the Seeker glanced over at him.

"Ichigo? Are you sure? Does he have spiky orange hair?" the Reader nodded and the Seeker hissed at her. "No wonder she kept disappearing," Rukia raised an eyebrow and looked around.

"But the only thing that can make a person disappear from a Seeker is a," the Seeker nodded and both of them took a step back, eyes wide.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to get her back," Renji pushed into the crowd and Rukia gasped.

"What are you doing with them?" Rukia asked and took a few steps away from Renji.

"I hired them to find you when that man kidnapped you," he said and Rukia shook her head.

"Ichigo didn't kidnap me. If anything I kidnapped him," the Seeker and Reader shared a look with each other then looked at Renji.

"We cannot touch her," the Seeker said and Renji turned on them sword drawn.

"What do you mean?"

"She has the mark of a dragon on her essence. A dragon has claimed her and we cannot touch what a dragon has claimed without getting killed by him. We aren't strong enough to fight a dragon," the Reader said and Renji laughed.

"I'm no dragon, but I have a claim on her."

"Then you'll have to fight the dragon," the Seeker said and grabbed a purse from his cloak and threw it at Renji's feet.

"I'll gladly fight a dragon. I am a Dragon Slayer after all, just as she is," Renji shouted and the men shook their heads in disbelief at his words. Rukia just stared at them all, confused by what she heard.

"You would do well to leave this one alone. She has been claimed by a very powerful Dragon Warrior, and a Captain at that. Leave her well alone and run. Just because he's not here doesn't mean he can't protect her," the Reader said and the Seeker shook his head.

"He is here," the Reader's face drained of color and they disappeared through the crowd of soldiers. Suddenly both men flew into the circle of people and were joined a moment later by man in a brown cloak who leapt over the soldiers. He pulled his hood down revealing orange hair and amber eyes.

"Ichigo!" she screamed and he stared at her.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, i tried to have some action in there so i hope that it was worth the wait. reviews are kind please**


	4. You Can't Beat Friendship

**Haha, hi everyone. Plenty of action in this one. Everything is going good in life, my knee is great…I just have to learn to run again. School is good though, except physics…still sucks lol. Thank you to all the well wishes from everyone. My knee is doing great.**

**Here's to the reviewers- hugs and kisses y'all.**

**To bcsaturdai– lol, that's what happens when there are only three chapters…glad you think it's great.**

**To MHplayer749– probably a bit cliché I agree, but I had to stop the chapter at some point.**

**To insomniac1970– it's okay, ironic fantasy? I lost lol.**

**To scr3am1ng1ns1l3nc3– it is fun to see them react to everything that happens**

**To When bleachscreams– I shall keep it up…I do my best to keep it interesting.**

**To Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius– haha, victory is mine! I confused someone lol…they will be…I hope :P**

**To WhiteMoon'sFrozenTears– lol, yeah the later chapters should be more action filled…it is called The Dragon Wars for a reason :P**

**To BlacWhiteZangetsu– lol, either way is good for me. Yeah, I hope it comes back quickly.**

**To pyrin firestorm– which time? Lol. Thanks for the well wishes. Sorry about you not liking OSTS…but in my opinion plot twists keep a story alive so you don't know where its going to go next. I hate reading predictive stories.**

**To ichiruki lover– well it's not Bleach, so I don't see the point of them being completely like they are in the show. They will fight eventually, but not in this one.**

**To bleach fan– yeah it is bloody lol and awesome**

**To andraq– you find out in this chapter. Um…Dragon Warriors are born either as dragons who have the magic to turn human or human who have dragon blood in them. Zaraki doesn't want Rukia personally, he's more like the middle man. It's okay, I have a plan for Rukia. His Dragon side did it unconsciously, but he knows.**

**To Tenshi-no-Megami– thank you. I'm glad that you enjoy them.**

**Disclaimer-I DO NOT own Bleach…shit, I do however own my brain and all its wonders (so if the story starts to suck, blame the brain that doesn't get enough sugar!)**

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Ichigo stared at the two men at his feet as they started to scoot backwards. Ichigo looked up at Renji who drew a sword and glared at Ichigo. The Reader got to his feet and stared Ichigo in the eyes. Ichigo slowly drew his blade and the Seeker came to his knees, hands clasped in front of him as if in prayer.

"Please, my lord Dra-" Ichigo placed the sword point against his throat and glared down at him, both men getting the hint.

"One more word out of either of you, and you won't leave this place alive," he said as he stared at them and they both nodded rapidly. "Good, now get out of my sight," he growled dangerously and they nodded and quickly crawled to their feet as they ran through the circle of men.

"You may have intimidated them, but you can't fool me. You are weak and foolish if you want to fight me," Renji said and Ichigo took as step forward as he stared blankly at him.

"Come on Rukia, let's go," Ichigo said and Rukia jogged by Renji as she tried to get to Ichigo, but Renji reached out and grabbed her about the waist.

"Let me go you fucking pig!" she screamed as he lifted her into the air one armed and started to slowly back towards the men. "Ichigo, please help!" she screamed and reached out for him as Renji dragged her through the men. Ichigo took a step forward and received a spear point in the left shoulder.

"If you come after us you will die," Renji said and Ichigo stood still as Renji backed through the circle. "Kill him," Renji said and the men rushed forward. Ichigo struck out to the left as he spun and broke the shaft of a spear that came at his ribs. He continued the spin and struck that man across the throat with the tip of Zangetsu. As he fell to the ground with blood rushing down his throat in rivers Ichigo turned and blocked the sword of another man. Three spears came at him and he stepped to the side and grabbed them under his left arm, spinning towards the men and backhanding the first with his left hand. As he stumbled into the other two men Ichigo turned and stabbed a second man through the chest.

Ichigo kicked backwards and knocked another man fell down as Ichigo pulled the sword free. He turned and ducked under the swing of a third man and slashed him across the stomach before spinning around and striking him across the back from the right shoulder to the left hip. He fell to the ground as he reached behind him and scratched at the wound as he died. Without pausing Ichigo grabbed another man by the throat and pushed him backwards towards two men who had their spears out. As the man was impaled on the spears Ichigo jumped over him and landed on the spears, breaking them, and rolled to his feet, cutting the chest of one man and then stabbed the other through the throat.

Ichigo turned and watched as two men stalked towards him slowly, swords raised against him. He blocked one strike and cut off his right hand before he moved to the second man and took his head off. Ichigo went back to the handless man and stabbed him in the stomach. He switches hands, his left now on the sword as he kicked the man in the chest and grabbed his knife with his right hand and turned, letting the knife go. It knocked a man backwards as if he had been close lined with the knife in his throat. Blood rose into the air as he hit the ground and Ichigo yelled and grabbed a spear from one man and killed him with a slash across the chest, blood spraying him.

Ichigo turned and swept the legs from underneath one of the swordsmen with the spear and spun, thrusting the spear through a man's chest, the blade coming out his back as Ichigo let go of the shaft. He turned back to the man who he had tripped and stabbed him in the stomach. Ichigo turned back to the last three men who looked at him wearily before a swordsman charged. Ichigo blocked the strike and grabbed his wrist. He slammed his head against the man's who stumbled backwards. Ichigo kicked him in the balls and, when he hit his knees, buried the sword in his chest when he sliced from his left shoulder into his chest cavity. He yanked the sword free with a sucking sound and turned to receive a sword across the chest instead of the back. Ichigo looked down at the blood that ran down his chest and he looked up at the man whose eyes widened.

"Oh shi-" the man was cut off as Ichigo shoved his sword through the man's mouth with a snarl on his face. He pulled the sword loose and turned to the last man who turned and ran the armor making him slow. Ichigo caught up with him a few steps later and tackled him. Ichigo picked him up and threw him at one of the buildings. He stalked over and grabbed the man by the back of the neck and ripped off his helmet. He then slammed the man's face against the wall a few times, hearing a satisfying crack as his nose and skull broke. Ichigo let the man fall to the ground and he turned, walking in the direction that Renji and Rukia had gone.

_Why am I even going after her? It's obvious that she doesn't believe what I say. How can I be feeling like I'm betraying her though by not saving her? I'm confused and lost, and a Dragon Warrior is never supposed to be confused or lost. We aren't supposed to fall in love either, but once again…I think I am in love with her._

He walked towards the gates of the city which quickly closed, guards coming up with spears and swords. He glared at them all and his pupils became slits as he slid Zangetsu into the scabbard as crossbowmen lined the walls.

* * *

Rukia struggled like mad as Renji tossed her over his left shoulder and held her there with an arm around her waist. He put her on top of her already saddled horse and then climbed onto his. Rukia jumped off the warhorse and started to run but Renji quickly caught her and picked her up, both arms around her waist.

"Let me go!" Rukia screamed and Renji laughed in her ear.

"I don't think so. You're coming home with me and we're getting married," Renji said and tossed her back on the horse. She tried to get off again and he punched her in the face, stunning her. "Sorry about that babe," he climbed onto his horse and spurred his horse forward, dragging Rukia's horse along with him.

"Renji! Please stop!" she shouted as she tried to pull away from Renji but he had her reins as well as his. They were out of the gates and half a mile away when she realized that he wasn't going to talk to her or let her go she folded her arms and glared at him. There was an earsplitting roar behind them and they both turned to see a large orange dragon that glittered in the sun spew fire on the men on top the walls. Renji never slowed down and this time Rukia spurred her horse on as well, eager to get away from the dragon that was destroying the city around him.

"RUKIA!" she turned at the loud roar, the voice was loud and rough, but somehow both comforting and familiar. She saw the dragon shoot two fireballs from his nose which not only blew the gate away but also a hole in the wall. She watched the dragon fight as he and the town disappeared behind a hill. Even though she kept staring backwards, hoping for a glimpse at the dragon again.

"You see that thing?" Renji asked with a smile on his face. "That beast would bring a lot of money to our pockets."

"If you want to fight it go ahead, I'd rather not lose my life before I reach my twentieth winter," she said and stared at the road ahead.

"We're the best Dragon Slayers though, we could easily bring that thing down," he said with an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Only with an army you idiot!" she yelled at him. "That dragon was easily two stories tall," she glared at him as he looked at her in surprise.

"Dragon? What's gotten into you? It's a mindless beast that kills people and eats livestock. Dragons are a menace to all mankind and here you are trying to defend it," he said and she shook her head.

"I'm not trying to defend the dragon Renji," Rukia shook her head.

"You keep calling it that. Before you were kidnapped by him you would always call it a beast, or creature, or monster, or some other such thing to make it seem lower than you," Renji said and Rukia looked up at him.

"All I'm saying is that we need more than just us two to get the dragon…er, beast."

"But then that's less money for us," Renji said and Rukia shook her head in disbelief.

"You have all the money you need at home Renji. Why do you always need more?"

"Because money and you are really the only things I care about," he said and Rukia shook her head.

"That's the worst lie ever, and don't tell me that it wasn't a lie," she snapped and Renji went silent as they rode on. Around the time that the sun started to set they stopped in the middle of the woods again, at a clearing far away from the road.

"Okay, let's make camp for the night. I have a tent so we don't have to sleep outside in the cold," Rukia rolled her eyes as she tied her horse to a tree and brushed him down. The horse whinnied and Rukia looked sad.

"No, Ichigo's not here," Rukia said sadly and the horse nudged her shoulder with his nose. Rukia smiled at that and patted the horse's nose before she walked over to Renji who was trying to light the fire.

"Fuck!" he threw the flint and knife down violently and stormed off. Rukia grabbed the blanket from her saddle bags.

"I guess we don't get any warmth or a hot meal tonight," Rukia said and sat down with her back to a rock, he blanket covering her.

"I don't think so. You're staying in the tent with me," Renji said and reached for her but she quickly rolled away and to her feet, drawing a knife that was in her belt still. She and Renji stood at opposite ends of the small camp glaring at each other in the moonlight. There was a roar and they both looked up in fear as dragon slammed into the ground, its neck and head coming between them. Both backed off a step and turned to the dragon who turned to Renji and shot a fireball which exploded on the ground at his feet sending him flying into the trees.

Rukia jumped back and raised her knife as the dragon snorted, a small tongue of flame and some smoke erupted from its nose as it stare where Renji had flown. The dragon then looked down at the fire pit and growled. It spewed a small stream of fire from its nose and soon the fire was crackling. Rukia looked from the fire to the dragon and slowly lowered her knife in confusion as the dragon lay down.

"Um, okay," she looked over where Renji had flown and the dragon seemed to chuckle and wink at her. Rukia blinked in surprise and then sheathed the knife and reached out to touch the dragon's wing which it had folded in as it closed its eyes, its front legs under its head.

The wing snapped open and Rukia shrieked as she stumbled back, drawing her knife again. She tripped over a log and fell on her ass, the knife flying away. The dragon stared at her expectantly and she saw the amber eyes that glowed gold in the firelight regard her with an air of warmth as she recovered the knife and slid it home as she slowly walked over. The dragon had closed its eyes again and she walked under the wing and touched the dragon's flank. The scales appeared orange and were warm to the touch. That's when she jumped back.

"You're the dragon from the city," she said and quickly retreated to the other side of the camp. She lay down under the blanket and the dragon regarded her with those warm eyes before it shrugged and folded the wing in. Rukia sat under the blanket for a good hour and soon started to shiver from the cold air. "Shit," she growled and stood up.

As she walked over the dragon's wing snapped up and she glared at the dragon who gave her a toothy grin as it stared at her. She stared into the dragon's eyes and realized something as she spread the blanket out.

"Your eyes. That amber color reminds me of someone," she said and the dragon shut its eyes and went to sleep, laying a wing over her as she lay down on the blanket. The air under the wing soon became a comfortable warm as she quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Rukia woke the next morning to the suns first rays hitting her face through the tree. She found herself lying on something both hard and soft. She looked up and had to choke back a gasp at the sight before her. Ichigo had arrived sometime in the night and taken the dragon's place. She had both her blanket and his covering her from her neck to her feet, his strong arms wrapped around her back, holding her close. She sighed and rested her cheek on the cloth shirt on his torso.

"Good morning," he said and her head snapped back up to him.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked with a small hint of fear in her eyes.

"It's good to see you too," he chuckled softly and she shook her head.

"It _is_ good to see you Ichigo," she hugged him tightly. "I thought I had lost you," she said and he smiled down at her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Nope, not leaving yet, unless you want me too," he said and Rukia shook her head.

"One question though," Ichigo nodded. "What happened to the dragon?" she asked and Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"What dragon?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.

"The dragon who kept me warm last night?" she answered and Ichigo shrugged.

"When I got here Renji was in his tent asleep and you were out here in the cold, shivering," he said. "Why would that bastard make you sleep outside?"

"He didn't make me, I chose to because I didn't want to be near him. The dragon, the orange one from the city yesterday found us and protected me," she said, confusion in her voice. "How did you survive the dragon?" she asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"I don't know. All I know is that one moment I'm fighting a group of men, the next their running away. I blacked out and when I came to most of the city was burned to the ground, I rushed out here and found your tracks," he said and Rukia refused to look at him.

_We made sure not to leave any tracks, especially the ones that lead to this clearing._

"What's wrong Rukia?" Ichigo asked and she shook her head and quickly got off his chest.

"We need to get packed and get going," she said and Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her.

"Whats the rush?"

"It's early, the sooner we pack the sooner we get away from him," she said and Ichigo stifled a laugh and she glared at him until he pointed to something behind her. She turned and winced when she saw Renji standing there.

"So you were going to leave me again?" Rukia glared at him as Ichigo stood up and rolled the blanket up.

"I was thinking about it," she said and Ichigo shook his head and grabbed his bag

"Ready when you are," he said and Renji glared daggers at him, just noticing him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked and drew a small knife from his belt.

"I'm travelling with a friend," Ichigo said and Renji looked around.

"I don't see anyone here fitting that description," he said and stepped up to stand in front of Ichigo, the knife at his throat. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at him and Renji looked down to see two knives pressed into his stomach.

"Back off Renji," Ichigo said calmly as Renji glared at him.

"You stab me, I slit your throat," Renji growled and Ichigo grinned.

"You slit my throat, I stab you," he replied and Renji's eye twitched.

"Seems we're at a tie," Rukia said from atop her horse. Renji looked up at her and Ichigo slid both knives home into his belt and then punched Renji with his right fist, his left hand grabbing Renji's knife hand to keep the blade from his throat. As Renji stumbled backwards Ichigo punched him again making blood fly from his nose. Ichigo drew his fist back again but a weak pull on his arm made him look down. Rukia stood there with a small frown.

"I think he's had enough, please stop," Ichigo released Renji who fell to the ground and held his nose.

"Sorry," he said and Rukia smiled up at him.

"I'm not mad at you," she said and then glared at Renji. "He's coming with us and that's final."

"Why do you have the last say?" Renji growled as he stood and Ichigo snarled at him.

"Because I believe that you forced your way into my company on these adventures, therefore you have to abide my rules," she said and Renji glared at her, getting in her face.

"And why should I, Princess?" he snarled making the word princess seem like a curse, which to Rukia it was at the moment.

"Cause if you don't listen to her I'll tear you to pieces," Ichigo growled at him and Rukia smiled softly.

"I think my friend is a little over protective," Rukia said and Ichigo smiled at her.

"Well, even if I am I still don't think I should listen to you," Renji said and Rukia glared at him.

"I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about Ichigo," she turned back to her horse and Renji laughed.

"We have three horses, and one of those is the pack horse. Where will he ride?" Renji asked and Rukia smirked.

"He can ride with me," Renji's jaw hit the ground, but Ichigo's went through the ground.

"He what? If anything I'll ride with you," Renji said and Rukia laughed. "What's so funny? I'm going to ride with you because you are mine. Byakuya promised you to me," Renji said as Ichigo finally closed his mouth and climbed onto Rukia's horse. The horse snorted and started to try and buck him off but Rukia grabbed hold of the reins and whispered in the horse's ear. The horse calmed down and Rukia climbed on behind Ichigo and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"That's right, Byakuya promised, I didn't. Deal with it," she smirked at him and leaned her cheek against Ichigo's back as they rode from the clearing. Renji caught up soon after and rode next to them at the brisk walk.

Rukia found herself soon drifting off back to sleep. She leaned back and shook her head to keep herself awake. She tried to make herself think of ways to stay awake but nothing came to mind, so she wrapped her arms tighter around Ichigo's waist and snuggled into his back.

"Tell me a story Ichigo," she begged and he shrugged.

"I don't know any," Rukia blinked at that and Renji burst out laughing.

"Why not?" she asked and Ichigo drew his hood up over his head and Renji laughed harder, missing Ichigo's whisper to Rukia.

"My mom never read me stories, and neither did my father," he said and Rukia's eyes widened.

"Why not?" Rukia asked and Ichigo went quiet as Renji kept laughing about how he didn't know any stories. Rukia glared at him and then snuggled back into Ichigo. "See what I mean about how he's obnoxious and loud?" she asked loudly and Renji glared when Ichigo turned so he could see the smirk beneath the hood.

"So you talk to him but not to me?" Renji asked and Rukia nodded.

"At least he doesn't talk about meaningless crap all the time," Rukia said and Ichigo chuckled. Rukia smiled and pressed her cheek into his back.

"You are one horrible fiancé," Renji said and Ichigo went quiet. Rukia glared at him and Renji shied his horse away from her glare.

"I am not going to marry you! Ever!" she screamed and him and started to get off the horse when Renji barked a laugh at that. Ichigo stuck one arm out and grabbed hold of her waist and kept her on the horse.

"It's not worth it Rukia," Ichigo said and Renji glared at him as he watched Rukia melt at his touch.

"Fine," she snapped and relaxed against him. "I'm going to sleep," she said and Ichigo shook his head.

"I don't think that's going to happen," he said and she looked around his body to see a group of mounted bandits surrounding a carriage about 100 feet away. They had on leather armor but no helmets and they each held a large 6 foot lance and either a sword or an axe. There was one man standing outside the carriage with a sword in his hands, he had a woman by the throat as he kissed her. Even from that distance he could see that her dress was pulled down past her breasts, just her thin shift covering her. There was a man juggling fireballs in his hands with the men.

"How many do you count?" Renji asked and Ichigo shook his head as he pulled a longbow from the side of his saddle and strung it.

"Thirteen plus the mage," Ichigo answered and nocked an arrow.

"What are you doing?" Rukia asked as she pulled out a crossbow.

"Take out the mage, make this fight easier," he said and Rukia nodded as Renji took out his crossbow. "On three; three," he released the string and the arrow flew through the air. Renji and Rukia pulled the triggers on the crossbows and the bolts flew as well. The arrow from Ichigo's longbow struck the mage in the back, just below the head. There was a crack as his spine snapped and two more cracks as the bolts hit him, one going into his lower back just missing his spine the other tearing his left arm off.

The other men turned their heads towards them as the mage fell to the ground dead; eight of them wheeled their horses around and spurred them and charged their way. Rukia hopped off the horse to give Ichigo some room. Ichigo nocked an arrow and released it in one clean movement, the arrow taking the lead rider in the chest, the sharp point piercing the soft leather armor.

"Ichigo! Go save that girl, Renji and I'll take care of these guys," Rukia shouted as she drew her sword from her saddle. Renji fired another bolt which struck a man in the stomach who fell off his horse and was trampled by the other men. He jumped down and grabbed his sword as well, standing next to Rukia as the horsemen lowered their lances.

Ichigo held his bow close to his side and spurred his horse on past the charging men. One of the men dropped his lance and Ichigo swatted it out of the way with the bow and drew his sword, cutting the man across the face and he fell backwards and off the horse. Ichigo slid the sword back into the scabbard and drew a small knife and kept riding towards the woman, standing in his saddle as he did so. He launched himself onto the back of one of the men and knocked him off the horse, burying the knife into his neck. When they hit the ground Ichigo rolled to his feet and stood next to the woman.

Ichigo blocked the sword thrust and sliced the man's stomach open before he shoved the sword into his chest and withdrew with a large trail of blood following the arc of the sword. He moved to stand next to the woman who had fallen against the carriage when Ichigo had attacked.

"You okay there?" he asked as he turned his back on her.

"Yes, thank you, but you're a fool to try and help me. What are you going to do now?"

"Save you," he said with a smile.

* * *

**Another cliché cliffhanger…oh well deal with it y'all, after 8 pages I decided to end it lol! Reviews are kind and helpful!**


	5. Old Friends Return

**Here we go. I finished the chapter and passed my physics test, whooo! I have no idea what else to write in this AN so I'm going to go ahead to my reviewers.**

**To bcsaturdai– you'll see, and it's a good surprise**

**To SsaPphire– yes, the heroes will be injured…that's the way I work :P**

**To andraq– I agree, guys should never hit girls…except in self defense…but she warmed up to him pretty quick.**

**To WhiteMoon'sFrozenTears– that was a miss type, the blue haired man part, but no, Rukia will not be a dragon**

**To insomniac1970– that's the whole point…will she be able to forgive him what he is? Or will she do her best to destroy him? Don't worry, Renji will be nice later on.**

**To MHplayer749– I understand and I went back and fixed it.**

**To Fantasia-chan– I shall try to keep it up**

**To Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius– yeah, he kicks ass!**

**To Strawberry-Ringo– heard and understood. Just review sometimes is all I ask**

**To Tenshi-no-Megami– Renji will get better, I promise.**

**To BlackWhiteZangetsu– I shall keep it up bro. if you liked this one wait until you see what I have in a few chapters.**

**Disclaimer- I DO NOT own Bleach…but I do own a batch of Ginger Snaps and a really awesome Peanut Butter Pie…mmmm

* * *

**

Ichigo stood in front of the woman as he faced the three men in front of them. Ichigo glanced over at Rukia and Renji who were fighting five men themselves before he turned back to the raiders.

"I think that this may be a little too easy," Ichigo said and the woman looked at him like he was crazy. One of the riders charged forward and Ichigo ducked under the lance and used his sword to cut the horse's legs from underneath it. The horse tipped forward as its legs were cut, spilling the rider onto the ground. Ichigo turned to the man and, with a quick strike hard enough to turn his head, cut his throat with the tip of his sword. Ichigo turned back to face the other two men who dismounted and drew weapons; one a large two handed battle axe, the other a slender rapier like weapon.

The man with the axe came after Ichigo first who ducked under the swing and then sidestepped to the right as the axe head buried itself where he had been standing a moment before. Ichigo grabbed the man by the back of the head and dragged him forward even as Ichigo stepped to him, plunging the sword through his ribs and out his back. Ichigo stepped back, withdrawing the sword, and looked over at the next man who struck.

Ichigo blocked the thrust and then sliced off the man's arm just below the elbow. He reeled backwards and Ichigo shoved the sword into his throat. Blood spurted from his throat as Ichigo withdrew the sword and kicked him in the face. He looked over at Rukia and Renji who had just finished off the men and were now heading his way.

"You're safe now," Ichigo said and turned to the woman who threw her arms around him in a hug.

"Thank you Ichigo," she sobbed and he pulled back in surprise. Ichigo looked at her and noticed the long green hair that hung down just past her shoulders.

"Nel?" he hugged her back and she choked back a sob. "Where's Grimmjow?"

"Two more took him over behind that hill," she said and he pulled back quickly and charged to where she had pointed. He got to the top of the hill and saw a blue haired man kneeling on the ground with two riders aiming crossbows at him.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo screamed and ran down the hill. The two men looked up at Ichigo and Grimmjow struck. He swept the legs out from under one man who fell on his back, the wind rushing from his lungs. As the other man turned around Grimmjow jumped and grabbed the crossbow from the man on the ground and rolled. He came to his feet and fired the bolt. The bolt slammed into the man's chest and he stumbled back with a scream and then a sword point exploded from his stomach, blood going everywhere.

Ichigo appeared and he grabbed the sword and rushed forward, pulling on the sword and cutting him in half just below the ribs. Ichigo tossed the sword to Grimmjow who caught it and stabbed the other man through the chest. Grimmjow quickly pulled to the sword free and handed it to Ichigo who cleaned it and then kissed the blade.

"Thank you for letting me use Zangetsu Ichigo," Grimmjow said and Ichigo slid the sword back home.

"You're welcome," he said and Grimmjow went to one knee.

"It is good to see you again my Lord and my Captain," Grimmjow said and Ichigo grabbed him by the shoulders and made him stand.

"Not here Grimmjow," Ichigo said and Grimmjow looked over Ichigo's shoulders to see Rukia and Renji running towards them with swords drawn.

"Run my Lord, I'll guard your back," he said and drew a small knife from his belt and charged forward.

"Ichigo, Run!" Rukia shouted and she charged down the hill with Renji right behind her. Ichigo rushed by Grimmjow and stood between the two of them, one hand holding Grimmjow's wrist the other holding Rukia around the waist.

"Stop!" he shouted and they both looked at him. Ichigo glared at both of them for a moment before letting them go. "Now, before we try to kill each other. Grimmjow, this is Princess Rukia Kuchiki of Seireitei City and Prince Renji Abarai. Rukia, Renji, this is Grimmjow an old friend of mine," he said and Grimmjow's eyes widened and he looked between the three of them.

"It's nice to meet you," Grimmjow said and tugged at Ichigo's sleeve as the other two put their swords up.

"What?" Ichigo turned to him and Grimmjow pulled him a ways off and started to whisper.

"Who are they?" he asked and Ichigo thought for a moment.

"Rukia is a friend, Renji is her companion."

"So if she's not your mate why are you with her?"

"Because I truly do like her," Ichigo said and Grimmjow shook his head.

"You are thick you know that. Head Captain Yamamoto said no friends and to not have extended contact with mates," Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"So what about you and Nel?" Ichigo said and Grimmjow licked his lips and then smirked softly.

"I'm not a Captain, sir," Grimmjow sheathed his sword and Ichigo nodded, conceding the point.

"You keep this quiet," he said and that made Grimmjow open his mouth.

"They don't know?" Ichigo shook his head.

"They're Shadow Murders," Grimmjow's eyes became slits and he growled making Rukia and Renji look at him. "Calm yourself," Ichigo said and Grimmjow glared at the two before he nodded once and then shook his head.

"If you don't mind, Ichigo, I think I'll go check on Nel. It was nice to meet you Dragon Slayers," Grimmjow said with a glare and walked back up the hill, knocking Renji aside with his shoulder. Renji glared after him while Rukia walked over to Ichigo.

"You okay?" he asked as he watched Grimmjow with a worried look.

"Yeah I'm fine, you?"

"I'm good," Ichigo said and looked down at her.

"What was all that about?" she asked and he felt this sudden urge to kiss her pouting lips. He restrained himself though and raised an eyebrow.

"What was all what about?" he asked and she glared up at him and he tried not to laugh. "What did I tell you about smiling Rukia?" he asked and she shook her head and glared at Renji's back.

"What was all that whispering about with Grimmjow?" she asked and looked at him. He felt his breath catch in his throat and he tore his gaze away from hers to look at Grimmjow who was now hugging Nel.

"Nothing," he said and she looked up at him.

"What about when we came over the hill and he was kneeling in front of you?" she asked and Ichigo glared down at her.

"Why don't you put your sword away and go drool after Renji?" he snapped and stalked up the hill as he tugged his ever present gloves tighter over his hands. Rukia's eyes widened and Renji turned around and saw her about to cry.

"Rukia, what's wrong darling?" he asked and she glared at him and scrubbed her eyes with the back of her arm.

"Nothing's wrong," she snapped and forced herself to walk up the hill. Renji followed close behind her, grabbing her arm to make her stop.

"Bullshit, what's wrong?" he asked and glared at him a moment before she grabbed his face in her hands and planted a kiss on his lips. When she pulled away a second later Renji stood there stunned. He quickly followed Rukia up the hill and wrapped an arm around her waist. Rukia saw Ichigo watching them and the pain in his eyes before he turned back to the carriage. Grimmjow and Nel climbed up onto the driver's seat and Ichigo crawled into the back and slammed the door. Rukia and Renji climbed on their horses and Rukia felt a stab of pain in her heart that felt like a twinge of regret for kissing Renji.

She didn't pay attention to Renji at all as he started to talk. She kept her eyes fixed on the back of the carriage where a window sat. She could see the outline of Ichigo's head in the window and she sighed as her hands tightened on the reins. She looked over at Renji who had stopped talking and was staring at her.

"What?" she snapped and he looked hurt.

"I asked you where you wanted to get married," he said and she snorted.

"Personally I would prefer getting married on a beach since I've never been to the ocean, but you and Byakuya want the wedding to be indoors," she said and looked back at the carriage.

"I may be able to convince Byakuya to let us get married on a beach, but the closest beach is almost a month away," he said and Rukia nodded.

"We'll get married where Byakuya wants me to be married. I'm not really in the mood to talk about this at the moment," she said and he looked away and was quiet for once, for about 30 seconds before he launched into more questions and comments. Rukia groaned and glared at the shadow of Ichigo's head in the carriage window before she heeled her horse forward and slowed to a walked beside the carriage.

"I don't think we've met," the woman said and leaned down and held her hand out. "I'm Nelliel Tu Jeagerjaques, but everyone calls me Nel for short," she said and Rukia shook her hand.

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki," Rukia replied and Nel gasped.

"The princess of Seireitei City?" Rukia nodded in surprise. "I'm honored milady," she said and bowed from her seat.

"Please, none of that," Rukia said as a small blush rose to her cheeks. "So what do you do as a profession?" Rukia asked and Nel glanced back at Grimmjow who caught her eye and shook his head. Rukia didn't miss the little exchange but ignored it as Nel turned back to her and smiled warmly.

"I'm the daughter of a seamstress," Nel said and Rukia blinked.

"How do you have clothes like that then? You look more like a lady than the daughter of a seamstress," Rukia said and Nel smiled even more.

"A few years ago Grimmjow here was hurt badly when he wandered into town. No one would help him out as he stumbled around. He finally came to my mom's house and she and I took care of him for a few weeks. When he was better he defended us from the local gang that kept us low on business and gold. Grimmjow killed them and his lord showed up. We found out that he was a knight who had gotten separated from his lord's army during a battle. In return for the help Grimmjow convinced his lord to let him marry me and make my mother the leader of a whole guild of seamstress. In fact those shirt and pants were more than likely made by the guild," Nel said and Rukia blinked for a moment before she smiled.

"Grimmjow's lord must be very powerful then," Rukia said and Nel nodded. "Who is Grimmjow's lord?" Rukia asked, hoping her suspicions were true. Nel opened her mouth and Grimmjow nudged her in the ribs with an elbow and she yelped and glared at him. The got into a whispered argument for a moment then Nel turned back to Rukia.

"Sorry, I can't tell you that. My strong, handsome, chivalrous husband won't let me speak of it," she said and Grimmjow smiled to himself.

"Oh, that's a shame," Rukia said and then Nel grinned.

"So what do you do Princess? Why are you dressed like a warrior?" she asked and Rukia looked down at herself before she smiled up at Nel.

"Renji and I are Dragon Slayers," she said and Nel's eyes widened before the smiled slipped off her face.

"Oh, I see," she said coldly and sat straight and watched the road. Rukia raised an eyebrow and moved the horse back a few steps to look into the window of the carriage. She saw Ichigo's head leaning against the wall as he slept. She felt a little hurt by all their reactions to what she and Renji were. Dragons where evil creatures that did nothing but eat, sleep, kill, and make more dragons. She pulled back to ride next to Renji as she thought about it all.

"Renji."

"Yes my dear?"

"I think we've over stayed our welcome," she said and he nodded quickly and enthusiastically. "We'll leave tonight," she said and Renji grinned.

"Absolutely," he said and checked the sword at his hip. "Shall we kill them before we leave?" he asked and she shook her head.

"We won't kill them. Just leave," she said and looked down at the horse's saddle and rubbed the horse's neck softly.

"Why don't we leave right now? They won't miss us," Renji said and Rukia nodded.

"Fine, we can leave them now. There'll be a split in the road up ahead. We'll take the one to Seireitei city," she said.

"When are we going to get married?" Renji asked and Rukia shrugged and sighed dejectedly.

"I guess when we get back."

"Good, can't wait," he said with a smile and Rukia sighed again and thought about taking the knife at her belt and opening the veins in her wrists while in a hot bath. She looked over at Renji who was practically glowing with the idea of being alone with her again. Rukia stared at him and decided that he wasn't as bad as she first though. Sure he wasn't as good looking as Ichigo, or as calming, or as strong, or passionate, but he did have a certain grace about him.

She shook her head at the hair though. The red ponytail that he had made him look like a pineapple. She stared at the back of the carriage and wished that something would come up that would let her stay with Ichigo. She decided that she would ask him what was wrong and not stop asking until she got answers.

* * *

Ichigo let his head rest against the side of the carriage as it rolled down the road. He took the time he had to undo a few of the ties on the top of his shirt to get cool. The inside of the carriage was hot, hotter than it was outside. Ichigo slipped the sword off and placed it on the seat opposite him as he stared out the window. He let his mind expand and he could hear the thoughts of Rukia, Grimmjow, and Nel as clear as if they were speaking out loud. When he heard Rukia's thoughts of leaving he severed the link and withdrew his mind into itself. He felt tears come to his eyes and he squeezed them shut.

_I'm a fucking Dragon Warrior Captain, and look at me! I'm crying over a fucking girl, one that is almost 100 years younger than me! _He thought angrily to himself. _I can't love her, I just can't…but I do and now she wants to leave and go marry that fucking scumbag!_

Ichigo's hands curled into fists and he wanted to scream, but he shoved a fist into his mouth and bit down hard on his knuckles to keep from screaming his pain and misery where everyone could hear. The door snapped open and Nel swung into the cabin and sat across from Ichigo. She saw the pain in his eyes and the glare disappeared.

"What's wrong Ichigo?" she asked and he shook his head.

"She's leaving. She's going to marry Renji and there's nothing I can do about it," he said and Nel grinned at him.

"I'm not going to let my lord lose the love that he deserves," she said and Ichigo barked a laugh.

"I don't deserve her. I don't deserve love. You know what I am," he said and Nel shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. I think she likes you too Ichigo. I love Grimmjow, it doesn't matter to me that he's a Dragon Warrior. If she loves you then it won't matter to her either."

"But she's a Shadow Murderer. It's her job to kill dragons," Ichigo said and Nel grinned.

"Then show her that not all dragons are evil."

"I can't. Her sister was killed by a dragon. She would never accept me," Ichigo said and stared out the window again as Nel sighed.

"When you come to your senses let me know," she said and reached under the seat to grab a shirt, a pair of pants, and a leather chest guard. She stripped out of her dress and shift, leaving herself naked in front of Ichigo who watched with complete indifference, and then pulled on the pants and shirt. "Can you help me out?" she asked and turned so Ichigo could buckle the straps into place on the armor.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked and she laughed as she pulled on leather bracers and checked her sword.

"Just in case I need to fight. You saw what happened earlier. Fucking bandits are everywhere now a days. We're now in Aizen's territory for another day."

"Aizen? He said all the bandits where gone," Nel snorted.

"That's bullshit if I ever heard it. They rob, kill, and rape more now than when this place was run by that human lord. Aizen just conquered this place to add gold to his treasures."

"What Dragon Warrior doesn't?" Ichigo asked wryly with a small smile.

"Aizen and Gin are the only ones who do. Their hordes are bigger than everyone else's," Ichigo shrugged.

"I don't care how much gold and jewels and people I have, I just care about my soldiers. If they are happy than so am I," Ichigo said and Nel grinned.

"What about your sister?" Ichigo looked away and growled at the window.

"There are some things that you can't control," Ichigo said and glared out the window randomly. "Karin, well she may be younger by 50 years but she's still dating a Dragon Warrior, not a human."

"And he's a captain too I hear," Nel grinned and Ichigo directed his glare at her.

"You should know better than to believe rumors Nel," he said and then shook his head. "But you're right. She is," Ichigo said and then sighed. "Everyone I know is with someone they love. I'm the only one who won't get what he wants."

"Poor Ichigo," Nel cooed and then hugged him. "You will one day, just wait," Ichigo nodded and hugged her back before he kissed her forehead.

"You're a good friend Nel. Grimmjow better count himself lucky that he has you," Nel laughed at that.

"I tell him that everyday," she smirked at him. "Where are we going my lord?" she asked and Ichigo sighed before he answered.

"We're going back to accompany Rukia and Renji to Seireitei City," Ichigo said and Nel nodded once. "Tell Grimmjow to sell the carriage in the next town. It should fetch a fair amount of gold," Ichigo said and took a deep breath.

"You're going to tell her?" Nel asked and Ichigo licked his lips.

"If it comes to that before I'm completely ready then yes I'll tell her."

* * *

**Well, I hope you enjoyed that. Reviews are kind.**


	6. The Confession of the Truth

**Well here is the next chapter…some things are explained a bit now and some will be explained later on. This chapter really doesn't have any action, but it does have something that everyone has been waiting for. **

**PS: I have a new Facebook account only for Fanfiction…Daslaer IchiRuki…so if you have facebook and want to add me for updates on the stories, or just to discuss ideas and other shit go ahead.**

**Here are the reviewers for the last chapter.**

**To ****Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius- he's just pissed at the moment, he'll come around**

**To andraq– Zaraki will come into the story soon, I promise that the mission is being handled…we'll all find out what the reason is soon enough and Rukia will wizen up**

**To xwhitemoonx– yes he is a dragon, welcome to the story**

**To rukijade– yes they way it should go is that "he will tell her soon, they will admit their feelings and then live happily ever after"…but knowing me who can tell? :P**

**To bcsaturdai– lol, Nel will always be a prominent figure in the stories…Nel/Grimm is my second favorite pairing**

**To Tenshi-no-Megami– hehe, yes she will have to wash her mouth out…and she'll have to apologize.**

**To Strawberry-Ringo– Oh it's not up to Nel, Rukia has to decide on her own…but will she?**

**To InstigateInsanity– I like the name dude, and thank you so much for the compliments**

**To scr3am1ng1ns1l3nc3– haha, yes poor Ichigo**

**To When bleachscreams– thank you, I shall try so that you can read it over and over again.**

**To insomniac1970– she didn't change her mind she's trying to piss Ichigo off…she's not going to marry Renji and you'll see her reaction in this chapter…and one more thing BRAVEHEART! FREEEEEDDOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH

* * *

**

Ichigo walked through the city streets beside Rukia who was riding her horse. Nel was riding a horse as well and was just behind Rukia, leaving Renji and Grimmjow to walk with Ichigo. The sight made people stop and stare as it looked like two ladies with escorts. Ichigo, through some trouble and punches, had managed to convince Rukia to wear one of Nel's dresses to make it look more believable that she was a princess. Nel of course had picked one out for her that would set off her looks perfectly and make men stare at her.

Ichigo found himself gritting his teeth as he glared at another man hard enough to make him drop to one knee, as if bowing to a noble, before he went back to buying fruits from a street vendor. He glanced up at Rukia, who rode to his right, and found himself turning red again. His eyes snapped back to the crowd. Rukia's dress was one of Nel's favorites; it was a riding dress that had slits down the middle so it wouldn't bunch up, it was a dark blue color, and it was tight across the chest pushing Rukia's breasts up. That coupled with a severely low cut neckline would have almost had her nipples showing if it wasn't for the shift that she wore underneath the dress.

Nel wore a green riding dress, also with a low cut neckline and tight across the chest, that showed off just how much breast she had. Many of the women glared at the two ladies while the men drooled. One of the men stumbled up to Rukia and Ichigo's left arm shot out and grabbed him by the throat as he tried to touch her leg.

"Let him go Ichigo," she said coldly and he snarled at the man before he let him go.

"Yes, milady," he said just as coldly and turned back to scanning the crowd. Rukia's eyes snapped ahead at his tone and she glared at everyone making them take a step back. Ichigo moved to the front of the pack as they came up to a group of 20 soldiers armed with pikes and swords guarding the bridge that crossed a chunk of the small lake to the castle that sat on a small island. He put his left hand against the horse's snout and the right hand went to his sword.

"I'll take care of this," Renji said and walked forward.

"Good luck," Ichigo said and stared at the guards. The black flame with silver trim stood out on the red uniforms. Renji walked forward and cleared his throat.

"The Princess Rukia Kuchiki of Seireitei City is here to see the lord of this city," he said and the guards just stared at him.

"Does the Princess have an appointment with Lord Gin?" Renji blinked and Ichigo felt himself smiling smugly.

"No, we just arrived today," Renji said and the guard shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you in sir. You must have an appointment to see Lord Gin," Renji growled and took a step forward ignoring the swords that were drawn.

"This is a Princess and you are going to sit here and tell me that you won't let her in?"

"I'll be right back," Ichigo said and stepped forward as Grimmjow drew his sword and Nel reached into her sleeve to grab the knife that was there. Rukia didn't have any weapons on her because she figured that they would be let in without any hassle.

"Where are you going?" Rukia asked and started to dismount.

"Stay there," Ichigo said gruffly and put a hand on Renji's shoulder and pulled him backwards. "Get back to Rukia," he said and Renji glared at him.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Renji snapped and Ichigo fixed a glare on him that made him take an involuntary step back.

"Step back Renji Abarai," Ichigo growled and Renji walked backwards until Rukia tapped his back with her foot. When he was next to Rukia Ichigo turned to the guards who had their weapons trained on him. "I'm glad that you're all taking this job seriously, but I must stress the point that I need to see Lord Gin."

"As we told your friend we can't let you in without an invitation or appointment," the guard said and Ichigo took a step forward ignoring the swords. Ichigo slid the arm guard off and untied the strings of the sleeve at his left wrist and took the glove off, shoving the sleeve up his arm. The guards' eyes widened at the dragon tattoo. "I'm sorry but we still can't let you in sir. Please don't kill us," he begged quietly and Ichigo retied the guard onto his arm and pulled the sleeve down over it before he replaced the glove. He pulled the medallion from around his neck. This time he thought the guards' eyes would fall out of their heads.

"My Lord, I-"

"You go get him now, or so help me I will kill every single one of you! NOW!" Ichigo screamed at him and everyone within hearing distance except for Nel and Grimmjow stumbled back a few steps. Rukia's horse tried to bolt but she kept hold of the reins. The guards trembled at the draconic growl that came out with the scream. Ichigo drew his sword in a flash and held it to the neck of the head guard who trembled. "Someone better go get Lord Gin before I start the massacre with your commander.

The head guard motioned to a man who sprinted across the bridge and everyone went back to their business. Ichigo stayed there with his sword point against the guard's throat. Everyone watched as a two men, one taking long strides the other running to keep up, approached them.

"What is the meaning of attacking my guards?" a silver haired man with squinted eyes and a fox like face demanded as he walked up, a frown that seemed out of place on his face.

"Lord Gin Ichimaru," Ichigo said and Gin's frown became a smile as he walked up to Ichigo who slid Zangetsu back into the scabbard. They clasped each other's right forearms in greeting and then hugged.

"It's good to see you Ichigo. I heard from Aizen the other day that you were heading this direction and I was wondering if you would stop by to see an old friend," he said and Ichigo smiled as he pulled back and nodded.

"I always have time for friends Gin," he said and then Gin looked behind him and saw the others.

"I see you brought Grimmjow and Nel of course is with him. But who are the other two?" Gin asked and looked at him. Ichigo cleared his throat and motioned the other two forward.

"This is Princess Rukia Kuchiki of Seireitei City, and this is her betrothed Prince Renji Abarai," Ichigo said and Gin sniffed the air then took a step back and bowed to them.

"Always a pleasure to have a prince and princess visit, even unannounced. I am sorry but I told the guards not to let anyone into the castle grounds. My armies just conquered this city not long ago and I'm still trying to keep the rebels and cutpurses out of my backyard while I rebuild what I destroyed."

"It's good to meet you my lord," Rukia said and stepped off her horse and approached him. Gin bowed to her and kissed her hand quickly before he let go and bowed to Renji.

"Lord Gin," Grimmjow and Nel said and bowed to him and he nodded to them once before he turned back to Renji and Rukia.

"If you will follow me, I'll personally show you to your rooms," he said and turned on his heel, Ichigo moved to walk at his left. "Why are you travelling with two Shadow Murders?" Gin growled quietly and Ichigo kept pace with him.

"I agreed to travel with and protect Rukia while she traveled and we didn't part. She was trying to escape Renji."

"Why?"

"She doesn't want to marry him. They marry and she'll have to settle down and she doesn't want that."

"Why does she smell like you Ichigo?" Gin asked and Ichigo sighed.

"I've sort of claimed her, but she doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what you are or that you've claimed her?" Gin asked coldly.

"Both," Ichigo replied just as coldly and Gin shot a glare at him.

"You know what Head Captain Yamamoto said!" Gin shouted and poked Ichigo in the chest. His outburst made everyone stop and had Grimmjow and Nel looking at each other worriedly.

"You try to control what your heart wants!" Ichigo shouted back and poked him in the chest. They glared at each other for a long moment until Rukia walked over and touched their arms.

"Please calm down. You're old friends who've just met again after a long time. Why not give the yelling a break?" she said. Gin couldn't miss the way that Ichigo relaxed under her fingers and he forced himself to relax as well.

"Don't interfere," Ichigo hissed and Rukia looked hurt but Ichigo couldn't care less at the moment.

"She's right Ichigo. Let's not quarrel right now," Gin said coldly and Ichigo growled at him.

"Fine, we'll continue this tonight after supper," he said and then glared at Rukia making her back up a step before he and Gin continued their walk as the evening sky began to darken into the black of night. They walked through the castle; Rukia and Renji were stunned at the large paintings and the random suits of armor that lined the walls. They walked up to a large pair of double doors which swung open.

"This is the dining area. We will have a small meal brought up for you from the kitchens," Gin said and rang a small bell. The crisp chimes brought an old grey haired man dressed in a suit through a door to the side of the room.

"Yes my Lord?" he asked in a tired voice.

"Bring in some of the food from supper," the man bowed and disappeared. Gin motioned to a small table for officers where they all sat. Gin was at the head of the table, Ichigo sat on his left Grimmjow on his right. Nel sat next to Grimmjow while Rukia sat next to Ichigo, leaving Renji to sit on the other end of the table across from Gin.

Cooks brought out plate off food; there were mashed potatoes with brown gravy, turkey with brown gravy, ham and pork, beef, ears of corn, bowls of green beans, huge baskets of rolls, and a large bowl of some chocolate pudding.

"Okay everyone, dig in," Gin said and they all grabbed huge plates of food. Ichigo and Grimmjow grabbed the largest plates and they all started to eat. There was little talk as everyone was hungry. When they were all done Gin led them up the large stone stairs to the second level.

"Rukia, Renji, you two will be in the first door to the left. Grimmjow, Nel first on the right. Ichigo, second on the right. If you're hungry call for the servants. Any questions?" Gin asked and Rukia raised her hand.

"I'm not sleeping in the same room with Renji," she said and Renji glared at her.

"Yes you are. You are going to be my wife soon so I will be sleeping in your bed," Ichigo took a step forward but Gin was faster.

"If she said no then she means no," he pulled a key from his pocket and took her hand in his and closed her hand around the key before he leaned in and whispered in her ear. She glanced up at him and raised her eyebrows before she nodded once.

"Hey, what did you say?" Renji asked and Gin frowned at him.

"If I wanted you to know you little ass rag then I would have said it out loud," Ichigo chuckled at Gin's outburst and Renji glared at him.

"Come on Rukia," he said and opened the door. She glanced quickly at Ichigo, whose smile had disappeared, and then looked at the floor as she walked slowly into the room. When the door slammed closed with a loud bang behind her Nel curtsied to Gin and Ichigo and went into her room. Gin looked at Grimmjow and Ichigo who both waited, Ichigo fixing a suit of armor with a random glare and Grimmjow staring at the floor.

"Grimmjow," Gin spoke softly and he immediately went to one knee, eyes still on the floor. "Get up. I was just going to ask if you wanted to go hunting with us tonight?" Grimmjow's eyes snapped up in surprise to see a smile on both their faces as Gin nodded.

"Hunting, with Captains?" Grimmjow asked and when Gin nodded again he smiled and bowed his head. "I'd be honored sir," he said and Gin put a hand on each shoulder and picked him up.

"Enough of that," Grimmjow nodded and then raised his head to look Gin in the eyes. "Ready to go hunting?" he asked and Grimmjow nodded slowly a few times.

"I hunted the other day with Captain Aizen so I'm good for now. I'll see you guys in the morning," Ichigo said and Grimmjow frowned.

"My lord?"

"Go join Captain Gin, Grimmjow. I'm sure he would like the company," Ichigo said and walked to his room. "Second door on the right?" Gin nodded and he and Grimmjow walked down the stairs as Ichigo opened the door to his room. Ichigo pulled off his gloves and shirt before he paused for a moment at the leather arm guard that covered his left arm and the tattoo. He slowly slid the guard off and threw it on the floor before he crawled into the four poster canopy covered bed and pulled the covers to his neck. He crossed his arms beneath his head as he lay on his back and stared at the canopy. He let his mind wander to the short black haired woman who he had traveled with for the last few days.

_I can't let her leave with Renji. I just can't. I love her too much to see her with another man. I know that I love her, and not just love her; I'm in love with her. I have to let her know so she doesn't leave. I don't think that I would survive it if she did. I'll tell her tomorrow._ With that final though he drifted off into a restless sleep.

* * *

Rukia sat on the chair bed for a while as Renji got ready for bed.

_I can't leave him. I just can't. I know that he's lying to me about something but I can't leave him for Renji. He did kiss me, but did he really mean it the way it seemed. Ichigo really seems to care about me while Renji just lusts after me. I have to tell him the truth, I have to let Ichigo know that I am in love with him._

She looked over when the door opened and immediately looked away when she saw Renji standing there with no clothes on. She still had on that dress that Nel had let her borrow and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying her best to ignore the fact that he was turned on by what he saw.

"Come on Rukia. Since you're betrothed to me I don't think it'll matter if we sleep together tonight," he said and Rukia grimaced and glared at him, doing her best to keep her eyes on his face.

"Only in your dreams Abarai," she snapped and he grinned.

"Well tonight my dream is coming true," he said and approached her.

"Let me correct that statement then so you can understand it. I'd rather be burned at the stake, naked, in front of the population of Seireitei City, with a rose vine shove up my ass, then eaten by a dragon for dinner than sleep with you," she stood up and walked towards the door, dragging the key that Gin gave her from between her breasts. It now hung on a small leather cord.

"That's harsh even for you. Where do you think you're going?" Renji asked and grabbed her around the waist, turning her around and dragging her flush against his body, her arms trapped between them. Rukia gasped involuntarily at his erection pressing against her, her eyes widened and she felt like she was going to be sick. Renji pressed his lips against hers roughly and kept one arm around her as he groped her breasts. She screamed against his lips and he pushed his tongue into her mouth. She felt tears roll down her cheeks as he moved his hand lower and pressed against her pussy.

Rukia tried to push away but he was too strong for her. As his tongue explored her mouth she bit down, hard, and he reeled back, yelling in pain. He backhanded her and she yelped and fell to the floor. She touched her cheek and saw Renji standing above her, blocking the dying light of the setting sun as he spit blood onto the floor.

"You'll pay for that," he said and reached for her. She did the only thing she knew how to do. She kicked him between the legs hard enough for him to let out a short high pitched scream like a woman in fright. He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he held his balls in pain.

"You just paid for it," Rukia said shakily and crawled backwards across the floor. When her back hit the door she slowly slid up it until she was standing. Renji tried to get to his feet but fell face first onto the floor as he cried.

"Rukia, stop please. We can take this slow, just please don't leave me like this," he begged and Rukia wrenched open the door and ran down the hallway on shaky legs to Ichigo's door. She used the key to open the door and, once she was inside the front room, closed the door quickly and locked it back.

She turned around and rested her back against the wood door for a moment before she ran to the bathroom and threw up in a bucket that she found there. She heard footsteps and then light from a lamp bathed the room in an orange light.

"Rukia?" she heard someone call her name but her head was in the bucket so it was muffled a bit. She felt someone beside her holding her hair back as she retched again. Rukia coughed and reached for a rag which was handed to her. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and she panicked. She struggled and she heard Ichigo whisper soft words in her ear. She immediately stopped struggling and relaxed against him. He handed her a mug of water which she used some to wash her mouth clean of the vomit before she drank the rest. "Rukia?"

"Hmm?" she responded to her name and she felt a hand turn her head and she looked at up at Ichigo.

"What's wrong?" he asked and she saw worry in his eyes. She immediately went cold even though her heart fluttered at the look in his eyes.

"Don't worry about it. You've spent all day angry at me for something and I don't know what I did," she snapped and stood up, turning away from him. "And now whatever it is Grimmjow and Nel are both angry at me too."

"We aren't angry with you Rukia, we're just worried," she spun around and looked about ready to kill him.

"Why would you be worried about a 'Shadow Murderer' like me?" she shot back and his face went cold. She noticed that he had his shirt off again and she did her best to stare into his face.

"I was going to let you stay here tonight so you didn't have to sleep with Renji, but since I 'don't care about you' I guess that I'll just let you go back," he said and her face fell and she felt sick again. He turned around and went back to bed. Rukia followed him slowly until she reached his room and saw him slip into the bed. He rolled over so his back was to her and he faced the window.

"Ichigo," she whispered his name but he didn't move. She slowly approached the bed and stood next to it. It was big enough to fit three people and it had a canopy over it. "Ichigo," she said his name again, just a bit louder this time. He reached back and pulled the covers back; she raised an eyebrow and unbuttoned her dress before she dropped it to the floor leaving her in her shift. Her nightgown was in the room with Renji and she didn't feel like going to get it.

She crawled into the bed and pulled the covers over her body. She stared at the canopy above the bed for a few minutes before she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Ichigo?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked with a steely voice.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted a while ago and the other day. It's just that, I don't want to lose you and what you said kind of hurt me a little bit. I'm sorry I kissed Renji, I had to wash my mouth out after that one," Ichigo rolled over to look at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked and she looked over at him.

"I can't lose you Ichigo. I don't want to marry to Renji, because I don't love Renji," she said and then sniffled as tears came into her eyes again. She rolled on her side and curled against Ichigo's chest. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed. He felt hot tears against his chest and he ran a hand through her hair.

"Please don't cry Rukia," he said quietly but she couldn't stop. Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "There is something that I need to tell you," he said and she sniffled.

"What is it?" she asked, the butterflies in her stomach fluttered in hope.

"I don't want to lose you either," he admitted and quickly went on before she could interrupt. "I really need to get this off my chest, whether you feel the same way as me or not. This last week as we've traveled together has been one of the best weeks of my life. I've enjoyed all the time I've spent with you Rukia. Out of all this time I can't deny what I'm feeling anymore. I love you Rukia Kuchiki, I love you with my entire heart. That day when I said that we were mates, that we agreed that whenever we went into a city that we'd be known as husband and wife, well that made me feel great. I really want that with you Rukia, I really want to call you my wife. I don't just love you, I am in love with you," he said and Rukia looked at him in surprise.

"What?" she opened her mouth to say something else but Ichigo sighed and looked away.

"I knew it," he grumbled and Rukia threw her arms around him, making him jump in surprise.

"Ever since my sister died all I've wanted to do is hunt down and kill dragons. When I met you at first I was scared of you because you were a stranger and you pushed into my life, I'll admit that, but then we became friends. Now I think you're the only true friend that I have Ichigo. We've been through so much, and when Renji kidnapped me and left you in the city I was afraid that I had lost you, and I hated that feeling. I don't want to lose you again Ichigo, because I love you. I know that it's weird for both of us to love each other after knowing each other for just a week, but I truly love you with every part of my being," she pressed her lips against his roughly and he kissed her back.

Ichigo placed one hand on her lower back as she climbed on top of him and the other went to the back of her neck where he held her still so he could ravage her mouth with his. Rukia moaned as she felt sparks dance across her lips when they kissed. Ichigo licked her lips slowly and she opened her mouth for him. He let his tongue wander into her mouth slowly before touching hers. Rukia immediately fought his tongue and tried to get into his mouth but he pulled back and laid his head back on the pillow.

"That was amazing," Rukia said a tad breathless and leaned her forehead against his.

"Yes it was," Ichigo agreed and kissed her lips lightly. He felt her tongue run across his lips and he opened for her, letting her explore his mouth for a moment before he fought back. She moaned and ran her hands over his chest and abs, scrapping him lightly with her nails, and down to the ties on his pants. Ichigo rolled them over, the sheets tangled around them. He felt her push his pants down and he sighed as his erection sprang free. Rukia grabbed him with her small warm hand and he groaned into her mouth.

_Remember son, when you mate with someone they are marked for eternity and can never sleep with another man as long as you live. They will also be linked with you in mind and spirit. Do not have sex with every girl you see. Wait until you find that one who you love and, if she agrees, then you mate with her._ Ichigo's father's voice filled his head and his tattoo burned as his body filled with desire.

Ichigo broke the kiss and nearly killed himself as he rushed from the bed and over to the window. He placed his hands on the window sill and leaned out the window taking deep breaths. He felt Rukia place her hands on his back and he flinched for a moment before he quickly pulled up his pants and retied the laces.

"Ichigo?" he turned around and placed his back against the wall and slid down the wall. He saw that his tattoo was bare and he quickly hid it as he scrambled across the floor to where the arm guard was. Rukia watched as he slipped the arm guard on and then knelt on the floor and leaned his head back, his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry Rukia," he said quietly and bowed his head. She came and knelt behind him for a moment before she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, pressing her breasts against his back.

"Why?" Ichigo had to make up a lie but he shook his head.

"I'll tell you at some point, but right now it's not the right time," he said and he turned his head to look at her. She pouted and gave him the puppy dog eyes and he groaned inwardly.

"Rukia, I…I'm…lets go to bed," he finally sighed and he crawled into bed with her right behind. She lay down in front of him and he wrapped the sheet around them before he put his arms around her waist and tugged her close.

"One more thing Ichigo. I don't want there to be secrets between us, so please, tell me whatever it is you're hiding," she said and he sighed against the back of her neck, his warm breath making her shiver.

"Soon Rukia, I promise," he kissed her neck and both of them fell asleep.

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**Well, there it was...they confessed, and there's a plot twist lol, couldn't you just see that coming? anyway, reviews please...that button is your new best friend**


	7. Training and Stories of the Past

**Okay, well here is the new chapter YAY! It's too early in the morning for me considering I stayed up most of the night putting the finishing touches on this chapter and fell asleep in the middle of writing. I have another snow day which is the only reason that I'm on at this time lol. I'm surprised too, cause here in Mississippi one snow is a big deal.**

**I've been really busy these past few days, and I miss my girl terribly cause she doesn't have internet at the moment so I can't talk to her. :( don't worry though, my writing will not suffer, I will keep on it.**

**Now on to my reviewers, thank you to all my reviewers and those who have supported me…there will be a chapter up soon that I will dedicate to you all.**

**To andraq– no, I really don't hate Renji as much as I hate Orihime. Renji just kinda gets on my nerves. He will change though, eventually.**

**To Tenshi-no-Megami- if you were in Rukia's position would you want that? She's be fucked if they did, pardon the pun.**

**To insomniac1970- yes there will be bad times…but it's always darker right before the dawn right? They will get their chance soon enough; I think? :P you know me and my love for plot twists.**

**To WhiteMoon'sFrozenTears- yeah, I am introducing the Captains slowly…I'm trying to make it interesting. Karin and Goat Face will be in here, but Yuzu won't be…I can't find a good spot for the loveable Yuzu in a violent world like this. Yes the Lemon will be later on after she finds out…maybe, but Nel and Grimmjow will probably have a lemon shortly.**

**To scr3am1ng1nsc1l3nc3- yes they finally confessed…now though I wonder what's going to happen.**

**To Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius- I can tell you that she won't be happy about it…and that's as much info that I can release.**

**To mas- oh I won't stop writing yet…I still have a ways to go with this. And thank you**

**To xwhitemoonx- lol, romantic? Never figured it that way lol.**

**To bcsaturdai- I don't know if it's enough…well okay I know, but you don't ^ ^ this is why I love writing.**

**To xTaSaxProductionx- well I'm glad you like. I thought I'd try something different, and I've never seen a story like this for bleach. Thank you.**

**To BlackWhiteZangetsu- yeah she'll do more than kick his shin, that's for sure…I know I would if the person I loved was one of my enemies as well.**

**To Jidt- yes, maybe the nice reviews do help a bit ^ ^, but sometimes my brain and parents have other ideas.**

**To Jess- you won't have to wait much longer, I already have that part written.**

**Disclaimer: i do not own bleach...or any dragons, damn it! .**

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Ichigo woke up with something warm in his arms and sun on his face. He looked down and saw a head of black hair. He inhaled deeply and relaxed as her scent filled his nose and covered his senses. His arms tightened around her waist unconsciously and he felt her stir. He stayed still hoping that she was stay asleep, but she blinked and she turned her head.

"Good morning," she whispered and he felt himself smiling. Rukia stretched in his arms and then pulled away.

"Where are you going?" he asked with a small pout on his face.

"We have to get ready to leave. The sun is up and Renji probably is too," she said and Ichigo suddenly felt himself get hard as he watched her walk around the room in her shift. She picked up the dress that she had dropped to the floor and started to put it on. Ichigo stayed in the bed for a few more minutes as Rukia walked over to him and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Yes?" he stared at her and she turned her back to him.

"Help me please?" she asked and Ichigo sat up and did up the buttons on the back of her dress. "Now get up and get dressed," she said and smacked his knee through the bed covers.

"But I don't want to," he said and lay back down with a small pout. Rukia laughed and put a hand on his chest.

"Get up Ichigo," she said and he shook his head.

"We're staying here for a few days, we need supplies," Ichigo said and then smirked. "Gin won't be up for a few hours yet," he said and smiled up at her. Rukia shook her head and slowly leaned down and kissed his lips lightly. When Ichigo tried to deepen the kiss she pulled back and stood up.

"No, we need to talk, now get up," Rukia said and walked into the next room. Ichigo threw the covers back and slipped from the bed. He walked over to the long couch and sat down next to Rukia. He took a deep breath and her scent filled his nose making his eyes flutter.

"What do we need to talk about?" Ichigo asked, a little worried about this conversation.

"Us Ichigo. I'm betrothed to Renji but I love you," she said and Ichigo put an arm around her shoulders.

"I love you too Rukia," he chuckled. "I swear it gets easier every time I say it," he kissed her temple and waited for her to say something.

"I don't know what to do though," she said. "Byakuya is my brother and he wants me to marry Renji," she said and shook her head a look of sadness coming over her face.

"We can talk to him," Ichigo said and tried to calm her down. "Maybe he'll see it our way."

"I don't think he will. Besides, we have to go all the way to Seireitei City," Ichigo stiffened slightly at the name and Rukia looked up at him. "Why are you so worried about Seireitei City?"

"I don't know, honestly, but something about the name sounds familiar," Ichigo said and Rukia stared at him a moment before she shrugged and stood up.

"We need to go Ichigo, it'll take us a few days to get there," she said and Ichigo smiled.

"But it's all worth it for you," he said and followed her to the door.

"Where are you going like that?" she asked and he looked down to see that all he had on was his pants.

"I'm going outside to train," he said grabbed her around the waist. He cupped her cheek with his right hand as his left arm held her close. He tipped her head back and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Ichigo heard the door opened and he turned around seeing a fist and a flash of red a moment before he felt a sharp pain in the cheek just below his left eye.

"Fucking bastard!" he heard Renji scream as his head snapped back. Ichigo blinked and leveled his head to look at the door as Renji threw another punch at him. Ichigo felt the strike against his right cheek and he stumbled back. Rukia jumped out of the way as Renji jumped and side kicked him in the chest. Ichigo flew a few feet and slammed into the couch, flipping him over it and onto the floor.

"Renji!" Ichigo heard Rukia scream and he looked up to see a pissed looking Renji stalking over to him. Rukia got in his way and placed both hands on his chest. "Renji stop!" she shouted and he for a moment and glared down at her.

"Get out of my way Rukia," Renji growled and pushed her out of his way roughly. "I'm going to kill him for you," he said and Ichigo got up to meet him but Rukia stepped between them, her back to Ichigo as she threw her arms out to the side.

"This is madness Renji. Just stop it already!" Rukia yelled and Renji placed a hand on her shoulder to push her out of the way. Ichigo snarled at him and grabbed the hand. Rukia yelped and ducked out of the way as Ichigo bent Renji's hand back and Renji dropped to a knee. Ichigo kneed him in the face and Renji rolled back, blood running from his nose.

Ichigo stepped forward but Rukia stepped in his way and placed her hands on his chest. Ichigo immediately calmed and looked down at her. He saw Rukia staring at his bare chest and he warm palms pressed against his flesh. She looked up at him and red started to color her face.

"Please Ichigo, don't do this," she said quietly and then looked over her shoulder at Renji who was getting up.

"He deserves worse," Ichigo growled, his anger slowly coming back and she nodded.

"Yes, he does, but I don't want you to kill him," Rukia said. Renji wiped the blood off his face using the back of his arm and started to walk forward, a glare in his eyes. Grimmjow rushed into the room and grabbed Renji around the neck, wrestling him to the ground. Gin and Nel came in right behind him and went to help Grimmjow who was trying hard to hold a struggling Renji.

"Get off me! He's the one you should be holding. He tried to ruin Rukia, hold him!" Renji shouted from the floor and Rukia bristled.

"Ruin me? Ichigo tried to ruin me? How about you last night you sick bastard!" Rukia screamed at him and Ichigo glared at Renji.

"What?"

"She is going to be my wife. I have a right to sleep with her when I want," Renji said and Ichigo took a step forward before Rukia's warm hands stopped him again. He looked down at her and, in plain view of everyone, kissed him lightly. Ichigo stiffened in surprise at first then wrapped his arms around her lower back and tugged her closer. Ichigo slipped his tongue into her mouth and Rukia moaned, flinging her arms around his neck.

"Okay, you can stop now," Nel said and the two of them broke apart. Ichigo saw them all staring at him, Grimmjow and Nel with smiles, Gin with a look of disapproval on his face, and Renji with a wide eyed look of surprise and hate.

"Sorry," Ichigo said and Rukia stuck her tongue out at Renji. "We best get our gear together and start out for Seireitei City." everyone stopped and stared at him.

"We're going to Seireitei?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo nodded. "But Ichigo, we have a job to do," Ichigo shook his head at Grimmjow and held up a hand.

"We'll talk later Grimmjow. We're escorting Rukia and Renji to the city. Now let him up," Grimmjow and Gin let go of Renji who stood up and glared at Ichigo for a moment before he stalked from the room.

"Lord Gin, if I may buy some supplies and get ready to go. We leave in a few hours," Ichigo asked and Gin shook his head.

"It's a three day ride to Seireitei City. Why don't you go train while I get your supplies ready," he said with a small smile that would seem creepy to most people.

"Grimmjow, let's go," Ichigo said and walked out the door, Grimmjow right behind. Nel stayed in the room with Rukia so they could have some "girl time". "Keep your shirt on though Grimmjow, we can't let Rukia and Renji know," Ichigo said as they approached the sparring ring.

"Okay. What first sir? Hand-to-hand or range?"

"Last time I checked you were pretty lacking in both," Ichigo said with a small grin and Grimmjow glared at him.

"Not funny sir," he said and Ichigo smirked.

"But yet, oddly true," Ichigo said walked over to the rack that held bows and grabbed one. "We'll try range first, and then we'll move on to hand-to-hand combat."

"Yes sir," he said and grabbed a longbow and a crossbow as Ichigo strung his bow.

"You know the drill Grimmjow. Hit the bull's eye five times, in a row," Ichigo stood back as Grimmjow strung the bow then nocked an arrow in the bow and lifted it. He drew the string back and held the end by the first three fingers, the arrow between his first and second finger and the string resting on the crease of the first knuckle from the finger tip, next to his ear. His left arm was straight as the arrow itself and the right arm was bent and pointed behind. Grimmjow remembered when Ichigo had taken him on to train him as his Lieutenant.

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"Good Grimmjow. Pull from the stomach, use your stomach muscles," Ichigo said and Grimmjow tightened the muscles in his stomach and back as he drew the arrow back even farther. He could feel the string strain but pulling on it was much easier like this. He took a deep breath and then released the string.

There was a twang as the string snapped forward and vibrated. The arrow sped towards the target and struck home, right in the bull's eye. Grimmjow smiled as the arrow quivered in its new home. Grimmjow stepped out of the way and Ichigo stood right where he had been and looked at the target, his head cocked to the right.

"Not bad, Grimmjow," Ichigo said and nocked an arrow in his longbow and, in one smooth motion, drew the string to his ear and released the arrow. The shaft went through the middle of the arrow Grimmjow had fired and split it in two, the two halves of the arrow falling from the target to the ground.

"Wow," Grimmjow stood in awe of Ichigo who lowered the bow and turned to him.

"When you can do that then you'll be good. Now, try again."

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Grimmjow opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and released the string. The arrow flew towards the target and slammed into the very center. Grimmjow quickly nocked another arrow and, in one smooth motion, drew the string back to his ear and released. The arrow twisted through the air and struck the first arrow dead center. He stepped back and turned to Ichigo expecting criticism for something and was surprised when Ichigo came up to him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Good Grimmjow. Very good," Ichigo smiled and then nodded to the crossbow. Grimmjow turned the crank and slid the bolt into place. He raised the crossbow to his shoulder and took careful aim. He pulled the trigger and the string snapped forward, shooting the bolt from its groove. The bolt slammed into the end of the arrow and split that one in two, the four pieces of the two arrows fell to the ground.

"Good. Now let's try tomahawks," Ichigo said and grabbed two tomahawks from the rack. He tossed one to Grimmjow who caught it and turned on his heel, throwing the tomahawk at one of the targets. It spun through the air and struck dead center target. Ichigo threw his and it struck dead center of his target.

"Hand-to-hand sir?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo nodded, grabbing two wooden practice swords. He tossed one to Grimmjow who caught it and immediately went on the offensive. For at least ten minutes they traded blows, never quite landing a hit on the other until Ichigo finally struck Grimmjow across the right thigh. Grimmjow was able to land, at the same time, a blow to Ichigo's left arm. They swung at each other and struck the other's left cheek.

Ichigo smirked and rubbed his jaw as Grimmjow stood there. Ichigo nodded and then struck again. With a quick flick of the wrist Grimmjow caught Ichigo's sword and wrenched it from his grasp.

"Good Grimmjow," Ichigo said as Grimmjow placed the sword tip at Ichigo's neck. "Very good, now let's go back inside and see if we're ready to go, shall we?"

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"So Nel, tell me about yourself," Rukia said as they sat on the couch as servants packed clothes.

"What do you want to know?" Nel asked and tried not to glare at Rukia.

"How did you and Grimmjow meet? The long version."

_Nel sat outside her mother's small store staring at the dirt road, the dress she wore was plain cloth and a plain brown color. It hung loosely on her body but men still stared at her. Maybe it was because of her green hair that hung about her face like a curtain and reached about halfway down her back. She heard shouting from up the street and she looked up. She saw a blue haired man in torn clothes getting pushed away from an inn by a man with a spear._

_The crowded streets split for the man as he fell back. He slowly got to his feet and stumbled down the street towards her. She caught his eye and nearly gasped. He was handsome, in a rugged sort of way, and his eyes were a piercing blue. Nel stood and watched him through her hair as he slowly came towards her._

_Nel's eyes widened as she saw the blood that covered his body and his clothes. He stopped just short of her and she saw vulnerability in his eyes, and she could tell that he wasn't used to being this vulnerable. He was shaking and Nel could see blood running down his body._

"_Please, help me," he said and she saw pain in his eyes, pain not from his wounds, pain at having to beg for help._

"_Come on. You can stay here with me and my mom," she said and he stumbled after her. Nel took his hand and lead him into the store. "Mom! I need some help," Nel called out and her mother came out from one of the back rooms. The man behind the counter loved to ogle Nel, and he did plenty of staring, that is until the blue haired man shot him a glare._

"_My my, what happened to you?" Nel's mother said as she approached. She looked the same as Nel, except her eyes were brown where Nel's where a more desert sand color. Her hair was also a darker shade of green and only reached her shoulders._

"_My name is Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. I was wounded during battle and was separated from my lord. No one would give me any help," he said and Nel found herself falling for this soldier, and hard. Her mother saw this and cleared her throat._

"_Let's get you into the back and fix you up," she said and led Grimmjow into the back room as Nel went back outside. A few minutes later her mother came out, her face pale. "Nel, my dear, we have a problem."_

"_What is it mother?" Nel asked and stood up._

"_Follow me," Nel followed her mother into the shop and to the back room where Grimmjow lay on a small bed that they used for sleeping in. He was unconscious with a small frown on his face and Nel looked at her mother. "I gave him some tea to put him to sleep so I could work on his wounds."_

_Nel saw the cuts crisscrossing his body and bandages over those. She put her hand against his cheek which was cold to her touch. She stroked his face and a small smile appeared on his lips. She looked up at her mother._

"_So what's wrong?" her mother pointed to this back and Nel rolled him over and gasped. A tattoo of a blue dragon that had its tail starting lower back just over the ass with the mouth curling around to point back at its feet. Green fire flowed from the nose to surround the dragon's hind legs. The wings were wide open as if in mid flight._

"_He's a Dragon Warrior," Nel's mother said and Nel shook her head. "Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, we cannot have a Dragon Warrior in this shop, wounded or not. Not with the new laws concerning "dark creatures."_

"_Mother, he's wounded. We can't turn him in, and we can't let him leave," Nel begged. "Please mom, please just let him stay until he heals up."_

"_We can't. Nel don't you understand, we could get arrested and sent to those prisons. Lord Creator knows what those men in the prisons will do to my little girl," Nel shot a glare at her._

"_I will not allow you to turn him in mother," Nel said with a fierce glare and her mother laughed after a moment._

"_Fine. I can see you have a crush on our knight here," she said and Nel could feel a blush stain her cheeks._

"_I do not," she said hotly and her mother smiled at her._

"_So you say," her mother disappeared and Nel looked back down at Grimmjow and smiled at him._

"_Oh Creator help me," Nel whispered to herself as she stroked Grimmjow's cold forehead. "I am in love," she bit her bottom lip and smiled._

"That's a long story for another day," Nel said and turned to Rukia.

"How did you and Ichigo meet?" Rukia turned a deep scarlet color.

"We met at a pub one night," she said and glared at Nel when she started to laugh. Rukia proceeded to tell Nel about how she had first met Ichigo and how they had traveled together. When Rukia got to the part about the night in the town after their visit with Aizen Nel laughed even harder. When she got to the part about losing Ichigo and an orange dragon warming her that night and Ichigo showing up the next morning Nel got quiet.

"So, why do you hate dragons?" Nel asked and Rukia bit her bottom lip.

"Ten years ago, when I was eight years old, my home at Seireitei, a small town then, was attacked by a large black dragon. During this attack the dragon killed my older sister when she tried to defend her husband, Byakuya Kuchiki. I swore that for killing my sister I would hunt down and kill all the dragons," she looked up at Nel who looked a bit sad.

"I'm sorry Rukia. But don't you think that's a little harsh to punish all dragons for the acts of one crazy one?" Rukia raised an eyebrow.

"And why do you care? Dragon's are evil Nel, as are all dark creatures."

"Don't you think that maybe they think that you are evil and need to be destroyed because someone that you don't know killed someone they knew long ago?" Rukia glared at her.

"Whose side are you on Nel? You're human; you're supposed to be with us."

"Just please explain from your side how you see these "dark creatures" as evil?"

"Okay, let's start with an easy one. Shades; called that because they can turn invisible. You know how easy it would be for a shade to kill someone? No one would see them commit the crime, or any crime for that matter. They could steal anything they want, or kill, or rape, and no one would be able to do anything about it. Replicators; they can change into anyone they want. Absolutely anyone they want. They could impersonate the king or a servant in order to kill the king. They could become a general and crush an army from the inside out. They are dangerous.

"Readers; able to read your thoughts. Easy to blackmail someone if they find out your deepest secrets. They could get anything they wanted just by finding out someone's memories. Seekers; can use the essence of people to find them. They could search out anyone in the world and be able to kill them. They can find anyone, you know how dangerous that is if you're on the run from a gang or the king?"

"Mages; use the power of all living things to create spells. These men and women can easily destroy armies and cities at their own whim, and finally Dragon Warriors; the men and woman who can turn into dragons and have enough power to destroy cities. Dragon Warriors are the most dangerous because they can become dragons. Why can't you see that Nel?" Rukia asked and Nel sighed.

"I guess I was raised different than you Rukia. I have no problem with creatures of magic to exist in this world," she said and stood up. "We need to get going, I have a feeling that we'll be ready to go soon."

"Yeah. I really enjoyed our time together Nel. Maybe we can do it again sometime?" Nel nodded slowly.

"Sure, we can talk some more later while we're on the road. It'll take us a few days to get to Seireitei City from here."

"How many days?" Rukia asked and Nel thought for a second.

"Two I think, maybe three. If we get going now rather than later we can get there in a few days," Rukia nodded and smiled.

"Let's go then, I want you to meet my brother," Nel smiled slightly as Rukia ran from the room to go see if everything was packed and then followed her.

_It's going to be a long few days._ Nel thought to herself as she walked down the halls.

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**Well this chapter was just a filler…kinda, I thought that it would be good to explore a little back story on Grimmjow and Nel and how they met…more of that and Ichigo's past will be revealed soon. :D thank you all…now I hate to say it, because I know you will…but still, review please, it really makes my day a bit better since I can't talk to my girl.**


	8. Seireitei City

**Okay, here is the new chapter…currently working on chapter 9 but I'm not sure when it'll be finished. This one is the chapter you have all been waiting for. Not really much going on at the moment, kinda boring here. Had a few days off cause of snow, but that's about it.**

**Mindcrime is on Hiatus indefinitely…lack of reviews is killing me on ideas.**

**Anyways, here are the reviewers.**

**To Jidt– of course there's more, there will always be more…until I'm done with this story then I'll go on to another one.**

**To Tenshi-no-Megami– More of the Nel-Grimmjow story will be written at a later time, but yes she did.**

**To insomniac1970– yeah the Bount Arc was really a stupid idea. Oh yeah, he will need support lol, cause the days are going to get dark.**

**To Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius– I can't give away information ;P**

**To hinataellis– oh yes, there will be more**

**To BlackWhiteZangetsu– lol, no more suspense then, at least on certain things. Glad I could help with your day.**

**To andraq– would you take it well if you found out the person you loved was something that you hated? Lol, I probably wouldn't**

**To xwhitemoonx– yes Renji is kinda crazy now, but he'll even out**

**To Hakkuchi– you're welcome, I update as soon as I can**

**To Jess– yeah, but remember that as kids they are told stories about them, much like the sandman and tooth fairy type stories. She believes that dragons are evil and since Dragon Warriors are basically half human half dragon she still thinks of them as evil. Yes she gave Ichigo dragon meat, but she doesn't know that he's dragon yet remember? All will become clear soon**

**To Rukes– I'm sorry you're sick. Get better soon k?**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Bleach…or a dragon**

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Ichigo sat on the horse as they traveled down the road as the sun got ever closer to the horizon; they had been riding for the better part of the day and most of the previous one as well. Rukia sat behind him with her arms around his waist, her cheek pressed against his back. He stared at the road ahead of them as it twisted through the hills even as he was distracted by thoughts. Rukia sighed against his back and turned her head to the right where she could see Grimmjow and Nel in the same position as herself and Ichigo.

Both of them wore leather chest guards with an orange dragon on the front. The tail started on the front right above the right thigh and ended with the mouth wide open just below the neck; black fire laced with purple moving around both sides of the neck and flowing over the shoulders. The wings were between folded in and opened wide. On the back of the chest guard was another smaller dragon. A blue one that had its tail starting lower back just over the ass with the mouth curling around to point back at its feet. Green fire flowed from the nose to surround the dragon's hind legs. The wings were wide open as if in mid flight.

To the left was Renji who was extremely pissed and quiet for once. Rukia closed her eyes and felt Ichigo's back rise and fall with each slow breath as if he was breathing.

When Ichigo heard a soft snore from Rukia he let a smile creep onto his face. He looked over at Grimmjow and saw Nel asleep as well. He and Grimmjow caught each other's eyes and then shot glares at Renji who saw them and shied his horse away a few feet before he glared right back. Ichigo nudged his horse close to Grimmjow and leaned in close.

"It's almost night, we should stop to pitch camp and eat," Ichigo whispered and Grimmjow nodded.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Renji asked and they glared at him again before he glowered at the road. They all looked up and saw a cloud of dust rising above the hills. Ichigo tugged on the reins and pulled his horse to a stop, Grimmjow and Renji stopped beside him. Nel was instantly awake while Rukia took a moment to wake up. She glanced around Ichigo and saw an open road ahead of them and the dust.

"Why did we stop?" she asked and Ichigo turned his head to look at her.

"Cause we're hungry," Ichigo said and slid off the horse. He held his hands up to Rukia who rolled her eyes but jumped down so his hands were on her waist. He set her on the ground and she glanced over at Renji who was still sitting on his horse.

"And what is that dust cloud?" she asked and Ichigo shrugged.

"I don't know, but we'll probably find out shortly after nightfall," Ichigo said and pulled a blanket from behind his saddle. Grimmjow cleared a patch of ground for the fire pit before he started to dig the hole. Renji pulled his tent off the horse and started to set it up as Nel grabbed some firewood and Rukia started to make the stew. Renji tried to make the fire but the sparks just wouldn't catch. Ichigo looked over and caught the gleam in Grimmjow's eyes every time the flint was struck.

"Grimmjow!" he looked over at Ichigo who motioned for him.

"Yes sir?" he asked when he stopped in front of Ichigo. Ichigo smacked him lightly on the back of the head.

"Stop playing with Renji, I'm hungry and ready to eat," Ichigo said irritably and Grimmjow grinned softly.

"Yes sir, sorry sir," Ichigo nodded.

"You can find ways to torment him later, but for now leave him alone," Ichigo said and Grimmjow grinned again and nodded before he walked off. Ichigo watched as he snatched the flint from Renji's hands and start the fire. Ichigo walked over to Rukia and Nel who were both getting the ingredients cut up and ready to place in the pot that Ichigo had set up over the now roaring fire.

"Okay, I think we're ready to get the stew going," Rukia said as she and Nel dumped the vegetables and meat into the pot.

"What kind of meat is it?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo clamped a hand over Rukia's mouth before she could say anything.

"I'll tell you later. Just eat it," Ichigo said and Grimmjow caught the dimming in his eyes before he nodded. Rukia and Renji gave him a weird look but Nel's eyes widened.

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked and Renji looked over at her and grinned evilly.

"What? You have a problem eating dragon meat?" Grimmjow, who had just taken a big bite of stew, choked and his eyes went wide as he spit the stew out and started to cough.

"You okay?" Rukia asked him, concerned, and Grimmjow stared at Ichigo incredulously as Ichigo took a big bite and swallowed with a small pained expression on his face.

"Just surprised me is all," Grimmjow said evenly and glared at both her and Renji.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo said roughly and Grimmjow glared into his bowl. The full moon had barely risen its full length in the sky as Renji suddenly looked up and drew his sword as loud thundering was heard. Rukia followed his lead, her sword in her right hand the crossbow in her left.

"Who are you?" Renji snapped as two riders stopped inside the ring of light from the fire. Both riders had on leather armor much like what Nel and Grimmjow were wearing; the large one had his chest guard showing while the smaller rider had cloak wrapped around him. The bigger rider had a dragon on the chest guard was black with the tail starting at the right hip and the nose ending at the left shoulder with a tongue of red/orange fire spreading over the shoulder and onto the back. The wings were folded into the body. Their helmets covered the entire head, including the face, with small slits for the eyes and nose and a line of 20 spikes from the front of the helmet to the back of the neck. He had a sword strapped to his hip and a large two handed battle axe on his back.

"Put down your sword Renji," Ichigo said as he stood up and used a finger to lower Rukia's crossbow. "Lord Zaraki," he said and placed a fist over his heart in a salute.

"Is this how you greet your old friend?" a loud voice demanded as he took off his helmet. He brushed a hand through his spiked hair making the bells attached to the ends of the spikes ring. He grinned at Ichigo and it looked more sinister than not.

"Renji, Rukia, this is my old friend, Lord Kenpachi Zaraki. Kenpachi this is Prince Renji Abarai, and Princess Rukia Kuchiki," Ichigo introduced them.

"Nice to meet you all. This is my, uh…wife, Yachiru Kusajishi," he said and the other rider took her helmet off. Her long pink hair fell to her shoulders and her breasts were somewhere between Rukia's and Nel's. She threw the cloak back and they saw that the leather chest guard she wore matched Kenpachi's. She waved with a large grin and then rushed over to hug Ichigo tightly.

"Good to see you again Ichi!" she said and looked over at Rukia. Kenpachi walked over and Rukia realized that Kenpachi was at least a head taller than Ichigo. "She smells like you," Yachiru whispered to Ichigo and he nodded and Kenpachi leaned down.

"I've claimed her as mine," Ichigo said and Kenpachi and Yachiru looked at each other for a brief moment before they stared at him.

"Baka!" Yachiru screamed and smacked his head hard.

"Quiet," Ichigo growled.

"Make me," she growled back.

"Need I remind you that while you are Kenpachi's Lieutenant you still must obey the orders of any Captain," he said and Yachiru looked up at Kenpachi who nodded once with a small grin on his face.

"No sir," she said defeated.

"Good. Now, why are you here?" he asked and Kenpachi looked at him like he was crazy.

"Haven't you heard?" Ichigo shook his head. "The Council has given orders for your arrest," Ichigo looked up at them, surprise written across his face.

"What for?"

"They said that they have been given information that you are raising an army to launch an attack on the home city of Central 46. Please tell me it's not true Ichi," Yachiru almost whined. Yachiru may have been Kenpachi's lieutenant but she still liked Ichigo a lot because he and Kenpachi were life long friends.

"When was this order given?" Ichigo asked and Kenpachi shook his head.

"About a week ago," Kenpachi said and Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"I was at Gin's and Aizen's within the last week and neither of them sad anything. Did all Captains get the message?"

"Yes, all but you at least. Please tell me it's not true," Yachiru said and Ichigo glanced over at Grimmjow.

"Does Grimmjow know?"

"I don't know, but that's why he was sent out here; to find you and convince you to come home so they could arrest you without too much blood. I don't think they told him though," Yachiru said and Ichigo took a deep breath. "Ichigo!" she glared at him and Ichigo sighed and shook his head.

"It's not true. I've been doing my best to stay hidden," he said and held up his left arm showing the guard that sat there. "Rukia and Renji don't even know that I'm a Dragon Warrior," he said and this time both Kenpachi and Yachiru smacked him on the head, one on either side.

"What do we do Kenny? It's obvious that he's telling the truth about the army, but how do we tell the Council about it?" Yachiru asked with a scared look on her face.

"Well, I owe Ichigo my life twice over. Maybe this is one time that I can repay him. We will stay and our soldiers will join with him to defend him," Kenpachi said and Ichigo shook his head.

"I won't have you two be branded as traitors. You'll go back to Central and tell the Council that they'll have to send someone else to get me."

"They will listen," Kenpachi said and Ichigo barked a laugh.

"They don't listen to anyone."

"Don't forget that out of the 13 Court Divisions 5 other divisions besides your own are on your side. Your father, me, Head Captain Yamamoto, Captain Ukitake, and Captain Shunsui are all on your side. We will fight for you," Kenpachi said and Ichigo took a deep breath.

"I know you will, but please don't. I don't want you all hurt because of me," he said. "You're more than welcome to stay the night and then tomorrow you can be on your way back to Central," Ichigo said and then grinned. "Don't eat the stew, it has dragon meat in it," both of them blanched and he laughed.

"By the way I forgot to ask. You said you wanted Rukia Kuchiki for someone Kenpachi; who was it?" Ichigo asked and Kenpachi grimaced.

"It was Aizen who said that a man by the name of Tosen wanted her as his wife when he becomes king of the humans."

* * *

"Well it was good to see you again Kenpachi. No doubt we will meet again soon. May the speed and strength of the dragons be with you," Ichigo said and clasped forearms with the man. After staying with them for a day of travel it was time to leave. They were less than a day's ride from Seireitei City. In fact they were only a couple of miles away now. They could see the towers of the castle rising high above the hills.

"You be careful Ichigo, there is a small group of men waiting for you a few miles up," Ichigo nodded and turned to Yachiru.

"Yachiru," he said and kissed her hand. "It was good to see you again."

"Ichigo, stop it. You know you don't have to treat me as a lady. You know exactly where I was before I met Kenny," Ichigo grinned and tried to picture her with long pink hair to her ass and dirt all over her face.

"It's hard to imagine you as the homeless beggar girl that the two of us came across," the three of them laughed and then Yachiru hugged him.

"You take care of her Ichigo. Tell her, soon," she stepped back and saw Rukia walking over to them. Both of them then gave Rukia a hug. "You take care of this guy; he needs someone to look after him," Yachiru said and Rukia nodded with a smile.

"I will," Rukia said and hugged her back. "It was nice to meet you both," she said as the two got onto their horses and nodded before they rode off. Renji, Grimmjow, and Nel were cleaning up the camp as Ichigo and Rukia said goodbye to Kenpachi and Yachiru.

"We need to get packed up and ready to go," Ichigo said and walked over to the horses. Rukia followed him back to the camp and saw Grimmjow and Nel walking towards them.

"Ichigo, we need to talk," Grimmjow said and Ichigo nodded.

"Rukia, I'll meet you by the horses in a few minutes," he said and she nodded before she went to pack her things. "What do you need?" he asked and Grimmjow glared at him.

"When were you going to tell us that you were raising an army to make war on the council? We would have helped," Grimmjow said quietly but with anger in his voice.

"I'm not. I have no idea who started this, but I'm ending it. I am not raising an army, for any purpose. I don't know where you heard it Grimmjow, but let it go," Ichigo said and Nel called after him.

"Lord Gin told him while they were hunting," Ichigo stopped in his tracks.

"Gin? Why would Gin lie about me?" Ichigo asked and Grimmjow shrugged.

"That's what he told me," Grimmjow said and Ichigo walked over to them.

"You two will leave now, catch up with Kenpachi, and plead my case to the Council. You must convince them that I'm innocent of these charges, before I return. I should join you in ten days. If I haven't contacted you in five days gather the division and find me. If you can't convince the Council in ten days gather the division members that are loyal to me and join me in the Marble Mountains, understand?" they both nodded. "Good, dismissed."

"Yes sir," Grimmjow said and Nel hugged Ichigo.

"May the speed and strength of the dragons be with you," she said and he returned the farewell.

"Be safe Grimmjow," he said and watched as the two of them hopped on their horse and rode away quickly.

"Where are they going?" Renji asked as he swung his leg over the saddle and sat down.

"Home," Ichigo said and climbed onto his horse before Rukia climbed on behind him. "Ready?" he asked and Rukia nodded against his back. Ichigo pressed his heels into the horse's flanks and the horse shot off. Rukia clung to him as Renji was close behind.

"Ichigo? What's wrong?" she asked as he charged down the road.

"I have to get you home and quickly. I feel like something bad is going to happen soon," he called out. They had been riding hard for over an hour when they turned the last hill and came to a long stretch of fields about a mile long to the base of the walls. A group of 100 men sat on horses between them and Seireitei City; Ichigo and Renji pulled their horses to a stop. The armor they wore had the sigil of Dragon Warriors, Aizen's Dragon Warrior sigil.

"Ichigo, who are they?" she asked and Ichigo watched them horsemen turn towards them.

"Aizen's men," he said.

"What are they wearing? It reminds me of the armor the Grimmjow, Nel, Kenpachi, and Yachiru were wearing," Renji said and Ichigo glanced over at him briefly before he turned back to the men.

"They are Dragon Warriors," he said sadly and Renji and Rukia both looked at him. Ichigo pulled his hood up to hide his face, something he hadn't done in days.

"But that means that Grimmjow and Nel and Kenpachi-"

"All Dragon Warriors. Kenpachi a Captain, Yachiru his lieutenant. Nel is Grimmjow's mate. Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Grimmjow are all true Dragon Warriors but Nel is human. I would have thought that with all the stories you have been told as kids you would have noticed the armor," he said and Rukia shook her head.

"You know that the stories never said anything about the armor," Renji said.

"No, I've never heard these stories before," Ichigo said and both Rukia and Renji stared at him.

"But all children learn the stories about Dragon Warriors and other dark creatures," Renji said and Ichigo shook his head.

"But if you didn't learn the stories, that means that you're a...Dragon Warrior?"

"Yes," Ichigo said and Rukia felt her heart stop. He turned his head to look at the fear that filled her face. "Rukia, you know me. Please don't give me that look," he begged, pain in his voice.

"You're a Dragon Warrior," she said and slid off the horse quickly. Ichigo quickly followed her but Renji drew his sword and pressed the point against Ichigo's neck, Rukia hiding behind Renji.

"Please Rukia, listen to me," he begged with sadness in his eyes and she shook her head.

"You're a monster," she said and she saw his face fall as his heart broke.

"No, Rukia i'm not."

"You're a monster! You would hurt us because that's what you creatures do!" she screamed and rushed past him to her horse. She climbed on and wheeled her horse towards him. "Your kind killed my sister!" she drew her sword and crossbow and glared daggers at Ichigo.

"I would never-"

"Shut up, just shut up you stupid beast!" she screamed and Ichigo looked at the ground. For the first time since his mother had been killed he cried. Tears dropped into the dust and turned into amber. He slowly took off his cloak and dropped it to the ground. Rukia stared at the armor he wore. The orange dragon that had been on Grimmjow's chest guard appeared.

"I'm sorry Rukia," he said and he drew his sword and checked the blade. Renji and Rukia both aimed crossbows at him.

"Put the sword away you creature of dark abyss, or we will shoot you," Renji growled and Ichigo sighed and stared into Rukia's eyes as he slid the sword home.

"When I'm done clearing the path of soldiers, I will surrender to you," he said and turned on his heel, walking towards the Dragon Warriors. He detached the scabbard from his belt. "Fly Zangetsu, fly," he said and kissed the scabbard before he threw the sword as hard as he could. There was a crack and the sword disappeared in a flash of lighting as it spun through the air.

"Captain Ichigo Kurosaki, by order of the Dragon Council and Head Captain Yamamoto you are here-by under arrest to be tried for treason by the laws of the Old Ones. You and your companions must pay heed to the call," the leader of the men shouted and Rukia and Renji shared a look before turning back to watch. Ichigo let out a long and loud roar as his answer and then smirked at them all before he started to turn orange.

"You touch her and I'll kill you, now come and get me if you want me!" he both felt and heard the popping sounds as his arms and legs became longer and grew scales. He felt claws extend from his fingers and toes and he could suddenly see better as his eyes adjusted. He felt his tail grow and his wings snap from his body. He went to all fours and his face elongated into a snout as his teeth became longer and sharper. He felt the pit of fire in his stomach roar to life and he opened his jaws and roared long and loud as he grew bigger.

Rukia and Renji watched as he changed. While it seemed to take a few minutes to Ichigo it was really just a matter of seconds for him to change from a man to a large orange dragon that stood about 15 feet tall at his back and about 40 feet long. Rukia calculated the wing span to be around 30 feet. Rukia watched in awe as Ichigo changed into a dragon and she realized something.

"He's the dragon that kept me warm," she said to herself and looked over at Renji who had started to plan on how to kill Ichigo. They watched the now dragonfied Ichigo snort and smoke came from his nostrils. The end of his tail divided into four sharp points which could open and close and each point was a blade of bone.

Ichigo stood there impatiently as the other Dragon Warriors started to draw weapons. He let the heat envelope his mouth and felt the sweet taste of fire slide along his throat. He waited as three men charged forward and he opened and roared. A long black flame with violet streaks in it struck the men and they screamed as they fell off the horses and thrashed on the ground. The horses fell screaming as well, though they were still sooner than the men.

One of the men became a smaller sapphire blue wingless dragon that was more like a lizard the size of a large horse. Ichigo chuckled as the smaller dragon's claws just scrapped off the scales without doing any damage. Ichigo reached around with his long neck and closed his jaws on the back of the dragon on his back and, with his powerful jaws, bit down. The dragon went limp as the spine was severed and Ichigo flung the dragon at the men. The men jumped off their horses and scattered, the little dragon landed on one of the men, crushing him.

Two more men changed, one was bigger than the last one but the other was the same size. Both were green and looked pretty much the same. They were brothers, but still were no match for Ichigo. He used his front right leg to grab one dragon by the chest and slam him into the dust, crushing the ribs, as he spewed fire at the other dragon. When that dragon stopped the attack Ichigo reached forward and snapped the neck of that dragon with his jaws before he bent down to the dragon under his large foot and bit the head off.

Blood covered the ground from the dragons that had been killed and the men started to slip in it as it mixed with the dirt and became mud. Their actions were greatly slowed now as they tried to get to Ichigo. The leader of the men changed into a large green dragon that was only about half the size of Ichigo. Ichigo roared and leaned back on his hind legs feeling the muscles bunch as he steadied himself by pulling his wings in. He felt his muscles loosen as he launched himself high into the air before he opened his wings and quickly caught up with the dragon just as he burst through the clouds.

He grabbed the dragon by his tail and spun his body to fling the dragon towards the ground. The dragon quickly righted himself and was joined by two yellow dragons that were just a bit smaller than the green one. Ichigo flapped his wings slowly to hover and roared in pain as he felt claws dig into his back. He craned his neck around and glared at the black dragon that was on his back. He opened his mouth and spewed fire on the dragon which yelped in pain and fell through the clouds to the ground below, his wings too burned to fly.

One of the yellow dragons flapped his wings and flew at Ichigo who slammed the top of his head against the other one's head. The yellow dragon was stunned and it fell to the ground as it tried to get its bearings. Ichigo looked down and saw the other soldiers moving towards Rukia and Renji. He roared and dove towards the ground, using his tail to break one of the wings of the yellow dragon as he passed. The dragon screamed and fell towards the ground. Ichigo was way ahead of it though; he opened his wings about 30 feet above the ground and opened his mouth.

Fire exploded from his mouth and he left a trail of flame that clung to everything. Men screamed as they were burned alive and the others stopped their attack long enough for Rukia and Renji to charge past them to head to Seireitei City. The yellow dragon hit the ground, killing a small group of men. The second yellow dragon chased Ichigo, who climbed and disappeared in the clouds. He slowed down and moved to the side before he came through the clouds.

The yellow dragon was above him and it screamed in fear as Ichigo's jaws closed on one of its legs. Ichigo used his claws to latch onto the dragon; he wrapped his tail around the dragon's neck and snapped it. Ichigo let the dragon go just as the green dragon came back. Ichigo barely rolled out of the way to avoid the jaws on his neck, but blood droplets flew through the air from long scratches across his soft belly. Ichigo roared in pain and dove back through the clouds and saw that Renji and Rukia were surrounded and fighting the remaining men. Ichigo tucked his wings in and sped towards the ground. He opened his wings just before he hit the ground and he slowed his descent enough to crash into the ground killing some men but not himself.

The green dragon slammed into the ground behind him. He turned swiftly and, before the dragon could even stand straight to attack, bit through the neck and the head dropped to the ground. Ichigo slammed his tail into the ground killing a few men before he turned and breathed fire on another group. He twisted his head around and closed his jaws around a man, eating him whole. Ichigo swung his tail and used the blades to decapitate a few men. He closed the end of his tail and cut a man into four pieces. Ichigo fired a fireball at two men who were running away. The fireball hit the ground between them and they screamed as they were thrown to the ground burning alive.

Ichigo faced the last man who surrendered himself. He went to both knees and put his hands on his head. As Rukia and Renji approached Ichigo thrust his tail into the man's chest and out his back and separated the end making him explode spraying some blood on Rukia and Renji. Rukia and Renji jumped back as the large orange dragon turned towards them. They stood there holding their swords out as Ichigo changed back again.

"I told you that when we were done I'd surrender," Ichigo said and raised his arms over his head. The front of his armor was slit open with four long claws from his neck to his bellybutton, but the rest was okay. His shirt and pants were gone though and Rukia noticed that his armor was a full body armor that covered him much like a suit of armor that the royal guards wore.

"I'll get him," Renji smirked and started to walk over but Rukia stepped in front of him.

"No, I'll do it," she said and grabbed a length of rope from her saddle bag and walked over to Ichigo. "You're nothing but a lying bastard," she punched him in the face and then in the stomach. Ichigo fell to his knees, blood running from the corner of his mouth.

"I'm sorry," he said and Rukia glared at him though worry suddenly tugged at her heart.

"Ichigo?" he fell forward and she saw tears in the back of his armor as well, blood covering his back. Ichigo felt his eyes close as he heard the thunder of hooves in the distance.

"Someone…is…coming," Rukia looked up as Ichigo blacked out and she saw a group of riders coming at them.

"Oh shit," Rukia said and Renji growled.

"Not more of those damned creatures," he grumbled and walked over to Ichigo with his sword drawn. "I'll end this one first," he raised his sword, point down, and brought it down towards Ichigo's neck. A sword blocked his strike just short of Ichigo's neck and Renji looked down into Rukia's eyes. She was on her right knee at Ichigo's side, her sword held in both hands, the flat of the blade blocking Renji's sword point..

"You can't kill him. We put him on trial first," Rukia said and Renji growled.

"He's a dragon," Renji almost screamed and Rukia glared at him.

"He is also human," Rukia snapped and Renji snarled at her as the riders approached. Rukia recognized the leader as one of her brother's generals.

"What have we here? The princess and her betrothed return, and with a Dragon Warrior surrounded by more dead Dragon Warriors. What happened here?"

"This one attacked us with the others. We managed to kill them and capture this one here," Renji spoke up quickly and Rukia's mouth dropped open.

"Yes, you two are mighty warriors," the man said and then motioned to the men to take Ichigo. "We'll take this one back for questioning," Renji smirked and climbed onto his horse.

"Well, this may end well after all," he said and Rukia felt her heart stop at his words as her stomach dropped.

* * *

**Well I hope you all enjoyed it all…exactly what you were all waiting for…the revelation hehe, now on to the fun part. Cheers y'all and reviews please.**


	9. Execution Time

**Hello everyone, sorry it took soo long to get this out…god school was a killer, and about 90% of my friends are pissed at me. Why? I have no idea, at least my girl isn't pissed lol…anyway…here is the chapter.**

**Now to the reviewers, 21 reviews, yes 21!**

**To Tenshi-no-Megami– she will understand, eventually.**

**To Rukes- I know right? How could you betray someone you love? I don't think I could**

**To mas- thank you, thank you *bows***

**To xTaSaxProductionx- no it wasn't Isshin, but you're close, it was a Dragon Warrior…its not Byakuya she has to worry about and you'll see why**

**To Jess- oh, well it's like the idea of werewolves, regular werewolves that can change back vs those who can't**

**To insomniac1970- thank you, and yes it will be a kangaroo court.**

**To andraq- yes, Rukia is torn...i hope she chooses right. Ichigo will get hugs soon I think, he definitely deserves it.**

**To Eradona- yes, for shame Rukia, but she was surprised about him being a dragon…she was struck speechless**

**To Hakkuchi- yes, that was Grimmjow on the back of the armor**

**To Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius- sorry, you can't hurt Renji yet…or do you not want Ichigo to survive?**

**To Ori- lol, blame me all you want, you're the one who stayed up to read…and no I know no books.**

**To Alyssa- if you rip a dragon's heart out or take his head off…but any weapons can hurt him if they hit him right. Dragon's teeth and claws are the only things that can hurt a dragon warrior while he is a dragon, but weapons charmed by mages can do the same damage, just less.**

**To hinataellis- I agree with that**

**To when bleachscreams- hehe bites, yes it does though I had to do it…had to have a way to show who is behind everything.**

**To BlackWhiteZangetsu- Renji can't die yet…not just yet**

**To Ayashi Kinsho- yes dragons are cool, yeah I agree on descriptions…as for Mindcrime, well I haven't killed off everyone yet…but I am going to keep writing cause I can't stand not finishing what I start.**

**To InvidiaX- Eragon was okay, at least the book, but I saw a shit load of stuff from other books, but it was good…movie sucked ass though**

**To xwhitemoonx- yeah, the dragon trials would be like the Salem Witch Trials you know…set courts and shit like that**

**To Neko Kurosaki- I know right? Mine makes grilled cheese and pie! :P**

**To Strawberry-Ringo- sorry that i didn't add you to this earlier, I didn't get an email for a review...yes she was mean, but don't you think she had some right to be, he did lie to her**

**Disclaimer- I DO NOT own Bleach or have claim to any names from the Manga**

* * *

"Captain Zaraki!" Kenpachi turned around and saw Grimmjow and Nel riding towards him.

"What's wrong Grimmjow?" he asked and Grimmjow pulled to a stop next to him as Nel reined in beside Yachiru.

"Captain Ichigo has been captured. We need to help him," Grimmjow said and Kenpachi glanced at Yachiru.

"Seireitei City?"

"Yes my Lord Captain," Grimmjow said and Kenpachi looked at the sky.

"It'll take us most of the day to get back. We probably won't be there until nightfall. How did it happen?" he asked and turned back towards Seireitei City and started riding.

"He fought against a large group of Aizen's men. Rukia and Renji guessed that he was a Dragon Warrior and he had to fight as a dragon. He won but let himself be taken captive rather than hurt Rukia," Nel said as they charged towards the city.

"He's a damn fool. This is why Captains can't have contact with their mates," Kenpachi growled and then glanced at Nel. "Did you say Aizen's men?" Nel nodded.

"Captain Ichigo fought and killed them all," she said.

"Damn it all," Yachiru scowled and looked over at Kenpachi. "You know exactly what I'm thinking aren't you Kenny?"

"Yes. If Aizen attacked Ichigo then Aizen must be behind everything."

"But, I thought that Ichigo was creating an army? He denies it of course, but I thought that," he stopped short when Kenpachi slowed his horse and glared at him.

"And how did you find out about the army?" Grimmjow looked between Yachiru and Kenpachi.

"Gin told me about it," Kenpachi narrowed his eyes.

"Well all Captains received a message from Head Captain Yamamoto, so he would know about it, but why would he tell you?"

"He wanted me to talk to Captain Ichigo and get him to come home. Head Captain Yamamoto told me to come look for him and bring him home cause they needed him. I had no idea why until Gin told me a few days ago."

"Just great," Yachiru said and Kenpachi nodded. "We have to go rescue him now."

"But how are we going to do that?" Grimmjow asked and Yachiru smirked.

"We're going to do what we Dragon Warriors do best."

* * *

"Rukia," Rukia looked up and saw Byakuya standing in the doorway. Rukia looked back at the floor from where she was sitting on her bed. The night gown she was in was silk and thin enough to be slightly see through on the arms. She sighed and felt the large bed shift as Byakuya sat down next to her.

It was late at night and Rukia knew she should have been in bed but she couldn't sleep. Less than a day ago they had taken Ichigo to the holding cell and had tortured him for information. Rukia could feel the guilt eating her up from the inside with every heart beat.

"Hello Byakuya," she said and stared at the wall. Byakuya usually wasn't a touchy feely person so Rukia was surprised when he slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

"What's wrong Rukia?" he asked and she shook her head.

"Every time I close my eyes to sleep I see his face; that look of pain in his eyes when I found out that he was a Dragon Warrior," Rukia said and she felt tears come to her eyes.

"Let me ask you a question Rukia. Why do you hate dragons so much?" Rukia looked up at him.

"A dragon killed Hisana. She was carrying my niece or nephew."

"Yes, and I am pissed about that. But killing every dragon isn't the way to do this Rukia. I am angry that I lost the woman I loved and my child, but I've come to accept that."

"I love him Bya. I love him and I betrayed him because he is half of something I hate and swore to kill," Rukia said sadly and her shoulders slumped. Byakuya kissed her temple.

"I want to tell you a story about when you were younger. You were about three years old when my old friend Isshin Kurosaki brought his son here," Rukia looked up at him, surprise written all over her face. "Yes, I was, am, a friend with a Dragon Warrior. You see, when dragons are ready to find their potential mates the males seek out their true mates by their essence. As Isshin explained it to me once it's like following a smell that is pleasing to you. Well, Ichigo Kurosaki caught a smell one day and they followed it here."

"Wait, so they followed a scent here to find his mate?"

"Yes. You see when a dragon finds their mate they mark them," Byakuya said and looked at the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, confused and worried.

"A dragon marks his mate's essence so that other dragons know who that person belongs to. It doesn't hurt the person who has been marked, and they don't know they've been marked until they are told. Well anyway, Isshin and Ichigo showed up one day and Isshin quickly explained what was going on. I was worried because we'd had this discussion at one point. Ichigo walked up to my room and slowly opened the door. I was worried pretty bad by this time and I thought that he was going to mark Hisana, but then I realized that you were there and you were crying about something," Byakuya took a short break and sighed.

"What happened?" he looked down at her and pulled her to him again.

"As soon as he entered the room you stopped crying and just stared at him for a few second before you walked over to him and he picked you up. Hisana knew both Isshin and Ichigo because they helped introduce me to her, which I will tell you at some other time, but we all knew," Rukia furrowed her brow as Byakuya stared at her.

"You mean to tell me that, Ichigo marked me?"

"Well, dragons call it claiming someone, but yes. He claimed you, and you were pretty accepting of it seeing as how when it came time for them to leave you cried for three days. Ichigo visited you up until you were six; we told him that he could visit whenever he wanted and when you turned 18 he could take you away and marry you."

"So what happened?" she asked and Byakuya looked sad.

"When you were six Ichigo and Isshin showed up on your birthday. They had good and bad news. Ichigo had become a Captain with his own division to command, but at the same time the Council that runs Central 46, the Dragon Warrior's main palace, passed a law that said Captains could no longer have human friends or have contact with their mates or children."

"So, Ichigo can't even have me after all?" Rukia said and she felt her heart drop even more.

"I think he's trying to get past that. You see once a person is claimed they really can't be with anyone else. Their heart belongs to that dragon that claimed them. The only way to end that is to kill the dragon," Rukia stared at Byakuya in horror.

"You aren't going to kill Ichigo are you?" she gasped and Byakuya chuckled and shook his head.

"No, he's fine. We are keeping him in one of the guest rooms, but under guard."

"You aren't torturing him?" Rukia asked in surprise.

"Where did you hear that?" Byakuya asked, angry at the idea.

"Renji told me. Renji told me that he was in a holding cell and that he was being tortured."

"He was in a holding cell, but I ordered him moved. When did Renji tell you this?"

"Just a few hours ago," Rukia said, worried about Ichigo.

"I'll check on that. You should get some sleep and go see him tomorrow," Byakuya said with a small smile.

"I don't think I can face him now after what I said to him. I called him a monster Bya. I called him a monster because he was a dragon," Rukia said and felt a few tears run down her cheeks. Byakuya frowned sadly and used his thumb to wipe her tears away and then hugged her.

"Rukia, I don't think he'll care. He protected you, even though he knew your story and even though there's a law against it. He protected you because he loves you. Most dragons only claim one mate and that mate is someone they love and would do anything for."

"So, if I was already claimed by Ichigo then why set me up with Renji?" she asked through her tears, just a little hurt and angry at Byakuya.

"I thought that since Ichigo hadn't had contact with you since you were six that maybe the mark would be gone and you'd be free to love someone else. Isshin and I wiped his memory of the whole thing. I was wrong and I'm sorry Rukia," Byakuya said and Rukia sighed.

"I can't be mad at you Bya, you're my only family now," Rukia said and hugged him.

"I think it's time for bed now Rukia. I'll see you in the morning," Byakuya stood up and kissed Rukia on the forehead. "Good night sis," he left the room and Rukia slipped under the covers as she heard the bolt slide shut, locking the door.

"Thank you brother."

* * *

Byakuya quickly walked down the various halls and stairs until he got to the dungeons. He saw two guards standing outside one of the wood doors strapped with iron across the front in a window pattern. The two guards stiffened even more, if that was possible, when he approached.

"What are you two doing here?" Byakuya asked and they stared at the wall behind him.

"We are guarding the Dragon Warrior sir, just as you asked," the man to the left said.

"I asked for him to be taken to the guest rooms, not to the torture chamber. Who delivered this order?" he asked and crossed his arms, pissed now.

"Lord Renji," Byakuya's eyes widened and he let his arms drop.

"Let me in," he said and the two guards crossed their spears in front of the door to bar his entrance.

"Sorry my Lord, but we can't let you in," the man to the right said and Byakuya growled.

"I am your lord therefore you will obey me."

"I still can't let you in sir."

"You will let me in or I will kill you," Byakuya said and the two guards glanced at each other and back at Byakuya.

"Fine sir," they lowered their spears. Byakuya drew a short knife from his belt and grabbed the spear of the right man and pulled it forward. He slit the man's throat in one clean move and then spun. He flipped the knife in his hand so it was backwards and he stabbed the other man in the stomach. Three seconds and both men were on the floor, dead. Byakuya stepped over the bodies and pulled the handle of the door up before pushing it open.

Renji stood over to the side as two men stood over Ichigo who was strapped to a table. Byakuya could see cuts and burns covering his torso and he visibly shook with anger. He glared at Renji who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Renji!" Renji turned to him in surprise and saw the guards on the floor.

"What are you doing Byakuya?" he asked and Byakuya glared at him even harder.

"Watch what you call me boy," Byakuya snapped. "I'm still a lord."

"Not for long. Lord Tosen is creating an army to destroy all dark creatures, including Dragon Warriors, and he's recruited me to kill this one after we gain some information."

"Who is this Lord Tosen?" Byakuya asked as the other two men stepped away from Ichigo.

"He is a human lord who is taking over the land. He is pronouncing himself king."

"He's going to have a hard time taking over Seireitei City," Byakuya smirked and a black man with long hair stepped from the shadows.

"Too late for that. I already have," Byakuya stood up straight and glared at him.

"So you're Tosen? Too bad I had to meet you. Why are you doing this?"

"You hate dragons no?"

"No. I'm actually a friend of this man's father," he said pointing to Ichigo. "And he is a Dragon Warrior Captain, and a powerful one at that. When he finds out that you are holding his son he will kill you."

"He can try. Let me give you some advice. Leave now and don't come back Byakuya Kuchiki, but you will leave your sister here."

"Excuse me?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki here is going on trial before a judge, me, and a group of Lords from other counties. They will find him guilty of being a Dragon Warrior, and they will have his heart cut out as is tradition for all Dragon Warriors. I will then take your sister as my wife and the Queen of the land."

"Why are you doing this?" Byakuya asked and Tosen frowned.

"Because I lost my whole family, my best friend, my city to a Dragon Warrior. I am taking revenge on their race. I will take every single soldier I can get and I will destroy them. I am taking Ichigo here, his trial will not be public nor his execution, and I am going to pin him as my accomplice. The Dragon Warriors in Central 46 will be torn and they will fight. They will cause damage to the whole world, and I will be here to slaughter the survivors and save the human race."

"Not all Dragon Warriors are evil Tosen. This man here has never in his life hurt an innocent human. I know this for a fact."

"Well, it doesn't matter much, because he is a Dragon Warrior!" Tosen screamed. Byakuya and Tosen glared at each other for a moment. Byakuya spun on his heel and struck out, killing both men by Ichigo with small throwing knives tucked into his sleeves. He spun back to Tosen with the knife in his hands and blocked the sword that Tosen held.

"Byakuya! Run!" Ichigo screamed and Byakuya looked at him.

"I don't think so!" Byakuya shouted back and blocked a strike from Tosen.

"Run! Take Rukia and get away from here. Find my Lieutenant Grimmjow Jeagerjaques! He will protect you both!"

"Shut up!" Renji screamed and approached the table.

"Fine!" Byakuya kicked the outside of Tosen's left knee and sprinted from the room. He ran up the stairs, screaming for the guards to awake and defend the city. He burst into Rukia's room and saw her trying to tie the last of the straps on her armor.

"I figured something was wrong when you started screaming. Where's Ichigo?"

"No time Rukia, we have to leave now. We'll come back for him at a later time," Byakuya quickly tied the strap and took her by the hand. They ran down the hallways as Rukia pulled on her sword and crossbow.

"Where are we going?" she asked and Byakuya shook his head as they stopped by a suit of armor.

"We are going to hide in the city until we can rescue your mate," he said and opened a secret passage behind the suit. "Let's go," he pulled her into the passage way and closed it just as a group of soldiers ran past.

"Where are we hiding?" Rukia asked as they walked slowly down the passage.

"In the city. We have to find a way to contact a Grimmjow Jeagerjaques," he said as they came to the end of the tunnel into the dark night. They heard a loud roar and saw a blue dragon fly over head and a green fireball slammed into the side of one of the towers. There was a loud bang and stones fell towards the ground. Rukia and Byakuya rushed away into the city as the blue dragon roared again and disappeared.

* * *

Ichigo could feel the walls shake against his back as something exploded. His arms were tired from having them chained to the wall above his head and his legs were asleep from sitting down. The collar around his neck was attached to the wall by a long chain, each shackle having enough chain to let him stand up and sit down but nothing else. By his calculations the explosions had been going on for hours, but he had no idea why. The brace around his chest was a complex device. It was metal with sharpened chips of dragon teeth set it in. If he tried to change the metal would expand and the teeth would be forced into his chest, killing him. He looked up as Renji walked in, a worried look on his face.

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked and Renji looked down at him.

"You're being put on trial now. The jury's a group of his friends that he is going to make lords when he becomes emperor," he said and snapped his fingers. Two guards marched inside and unhooked the chains from the wall before they hooked them together in front of him. The soldiers pulled Ichigo to his feet and marched him from the room. Ichigo stumbled down the hallway, his tattoo clearly visible on his arm. He was weak from hunger and the torture that he had been put through. All his wounds had healed, mostly, but without adequate food he wouldn't be fully healed.

"Come on you beast," one of the guards said and yanked on the chain that was on Ichigo's collar. Ichigo stumbled forward and barely caught himself before he fell; of course the guard behind him whacked him across the back with the shaft of his spear making him fall. Renji helped him up while the guards laughed.

"Come on, we have to get him to the trial now," he said and the two guards started to drag Ichigo down the hallway again. They arrived at the front gates and the two guards helped Ichigo into the back of the wagon and chained him to the bed of the wagon.

"Where are we going?" Ichigo asked as the two guards climbed onto the front seat and Renji stood behind the wagon.

"Your trial will take place privately but your execution will be public," Renji said, the worried look on his face started to worry Ichigo.

"I thought that it was all to be private," Ichigo said and Renji nodded.

"Tosen changed his mind about it. He's setting you up as a traitor to his cause and he's going to have your heart ripped from your body. Rukia and Byakuya have escaped, and a pair of dragons have been attacking the city since last night," Renji said and the gates opened. Sunlight shone through the door, blinding Ichigo as his eyes tried to adjust.

"What is the time?" Ichigo asked as he blinked the tears away.

"Not even 11th bell. You'll be dead before noon," Renji said but Ichigo saw that he didn't look happy about it.

"If I am to die why do you look pissed about it?" Ichigo asked as the cart lurched forward. Guards surrounded the cart and Ichigo looked down the street at the people who would be there to view his execution.

"Shut up!" Renji snapped and glared at him as they slowly traveled down the walk through a crowd of people. The rags he had been dressed in showed off his tattoo clearly. The sun made the colors of the tattoo shine brightly and glitter.

"Behold, a mighty Dragon Warrior!" Renji cried and people booed and threw food and stones at him. One stone struck him across the face just above his right eyebrow and blood immediately flowed.

"Look! They can bleed!" someone screamed and the crowd screamed louder and threw more food and stones at him. The rotten food caught in his "clothes" easily and he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"You are nothing but a beast and a monster Ichigo," Renji whispered and frowned. "Yet you get more welcome than the Princess Rukia did."

"That's cause I'm here to die Renji," Ichigo said and stared straight ahead. Renji glanced up at him as they came to a halt in front of the meeting house. Without a word Renji helped Ichigo down and then pushed him roughly through the door. Renji grabbed the chain that was around his neck and dragged him stumbling across the floor.

"Kneel!" Renji shouted as they stopped in front of the group of men who would be his judges. Renji kicked him in the ass and sent him sprawling. "Beg for your life."

"Prince General Renji, be quiet," Tosen snapped and Renji went quiet and stepped back. "Now, Lord Captain Ichigo Kurosaki of the Dragon Warriors. You are here on trial this day for attempting to harm two members of human royalty, changing in front of humans, and planning on waging war against humanity," there were collective gasps from the lords. "How do you plead?"

"On whose word?" Ichigo asked as he slowly climbed to his feet and Tosen smirked as he leaned forward.

"Prince General Renji. He has told us all how you attacked him and his betrothed just outside the city with over a hundred dragon warriors. He told us how the cavalry barely arrived in time to help capture you and kill the others."

"Well, Renji, did you tell them about how you traveled with me for about a week and never even knew I was a Dragon Warrior until I helped your sorry ass from those hundred soldiers?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Renji said but Ichigo looked at him and saw that he was white.

"What's wrong Renji, you look pale," he said and Tosen and the other lords looked at him.

"Renji, is this true?" Tosen asked and sat up straight.

"No sir, it's not," Renji said quickly.

"Do not lie to me. Is this true!" Tosen snapped out each word and Renji started to sweat.

"Yes, it is. I traveled with this man for a week," Renji said and bowed his head.

"At any time did he show himself to you?"

"No."

"Did he move to cause you or Rukia harm?"

"No."

"Did he save your life?"

"Yes."

"Did he ever change in front of you?"

"No." Renji said after a short pause.

"Then how do you know that he's a Dragon Warrior?" Tosen asked and slowly stood up.

"He admitted it to us and showed us his tattoo and armor," Renji said and stared at the wall behind Tosen who turned to the gathered lords.

"How do we charge Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Guilty!" all the lords shouted at once.

"Of which charge?"

"All!"

"What should we do?"

"Execute! Execute!" they all shouted and Tosen raised his hands.

"The lords have spoken. We shall execute the Dragon Warrior," Tosen smirked and motioned to Renji who grabbed Ichigo and dragged him towards the door.

"Will you be joining us Emperor?" Renji asked and Tosen nodded.

"Yes, I'll meet you out there," he said and Renji opened the doors and stepped out. The crowd went quiet and Renji looked at Ichigo for a moment before he whispered to him.

"I'm sorry Ichigo. I shouldn't have helped him," he turned to the crowd. "Execution!" he screamed and the crowed went up in a cheer. Renji dragged Ichigo away towards the cart and chained him up again.

"Why are you sorry?" Ichigo asked as Renji finished locking the chains and stood next to him.

"Because I finally understand. You kept your secret hidden because you love Rukia and didn't want her to fear you. I shouldn't have gotten in the way. You claimed her didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. But I don't remember any of it," Ichigo said and then shook his head and smiled sadly. "Not like it matters now anyway. When I'm gone you'll be able to have her, the mark on her essence will be gone."

"I won't go after her again Ichigo. I won't need to," Renji said as they came to a halt in front of the execution platform.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll make it. I promise you, you'll make it," Renji said and pointed to a tower where he saw two dragon heads pointing in his direction. "I'll get you out even if it kills me. I owe you and Rukia that much," Renji said and licked his lips.

"Now what are they going to do?" Ichigo asked as Renji unhooked the chains.

"They are going to chain you to that cross up there and rip out your heart in front of this crowd," Renji said and Ichigo stared at the large metal object that looked like a giant x.

"They chain you to each arm and then slice you from your neck to your groin and gut you, then they castrate you, then take your heart out," Renji said and Ichigo grimaced.

"And how do you expect to get me out of this?" Ichigo asked and Renji looked him in the eye.

"I'm still thinking on that one, but the dragons will probably help," he said and Ichigo grinned.

"They aren't just dragons, the blue one is Grimmjow and the pink one is Yachiru," Renji blinked in surprise as he led Ichigo to the cross.

"Wait, so they can change?"

"Duh, all Dragon Warriors can change. The stronger you are the bigger and more powerful the dragon."

"So what about that Kenpachi guy? What color dragon is he?"

"You know the black one on the front of his armor?" Renji nodded. "That's his form."

"We haven't seen a black dragon yet."

"Captains don't usually change unless there is a great need. He'll show up to fight, but I don't know if he'll change. If he does, it's going to be a massacre," Ichigo said as Renji chained his arms and legs to each of the four arms and stepped back.

"Well, good to know then. I'm sorry Ichigo. I realize now that some dragons are good; like you. You risked everything to help Rukia," Renji looked over at the crowd and then back at Ichigo.

"So how am I getting out of this?"

"I'll kill one of the men with a crossbow, hopefully then your friends will come help you," Renji said and then stepped back as two men approached with Tosen leading them.

"Ichigo Kurosaki! You are to be executed by the original dragon execution standards of Dragon Warriors. You are to be disemboweled, castrated, and your heart ripped from your chest," a cheer went up from the crowd. "You're dead Ichigo," Tosen said where only Ichigo could hear.

"Emperor," Renji bowed. "I'll take my leave now," Tosen nodded and waved his hand. Renji disappeared and Ichigo watched as the platform started to rise above the crowd so everyone could see. Tosen picked up a large hooked knife much like a large scythe, but with a curvier blade and shorter handle.

Ichigo gritted his teeth together as Tosen placed the scythe against his chest and slowly dragged it downwards. The blade caught on Ichigo's skin and ripped painfully. Ichigo tipped his head back and let out a loud roar. A long stream of fire shot from his mouth as Tosen dragged the scythe all the way to just above his groin before he ripped the scythe free.

Ichigo watched as the crowd cheered his pain as his chin dropped to his chest and he panted. He watched blood run down his torso in dark rivers and pool on the wood platform under him. He heard the crowd scream and looked up to see one of the guards fall to the wood, a bolt in his back, right in his heart. Ichigo watched through blurred vision as the second guard fell, choking on a bolt.

Tosen jumped off the platform and sprinted through the crowd as they ran. A large blue dragon landed on the ground as soldiers ran towards the platform and let loose a large stream of orange flames. The soldiers scattered and a pink dragon, just smaller than the blue one, landed on the platform and Ichigo watched Kenpachi slip to the wood planks.

"We got you Ichigo," he said and used a small stream of orange fire with strips of pink shot from his finger and burned the ropes. Kenpachi caught him as he fell and carefully picked him up. Kenpachi climbed up onto the pink dragon's back and patted the scales. "Let's go Yachiru."

"Wait!" Ichigo looked over from where he was sitting in front of Kenpachi, who had his arms around him to hold him on Yachiru, and saw Rukia and Byakuya running across the platform towards them.

"Kenpachi, get Grimmjow to take them," he said quietly and felt his eyes start to close.

"Grimmjow!" the blue dragon looked back at them. "Give those two a ride!" he shouted pointing to the siblings. Grimmjow climbed up onto the platform as Yachiru sprang into the air. Rukia and Byakuya quickly climbed onto Grimmjow who launched himself into the air and flew after Yachiru.

"Kenpachi," Ichigo groaned and Kenpachi looked down at him. "Where are we going?"

"Central 46. We need you healed."

"No. No, we can't let Rukia and Byakuya get arrested," he said and tried to move.

"Stay still Ichigo. They won't get arrested. Your father will take care of them. Now sleep Ichigo," Kenpachi said and Ichigo groaned and let his eyes close.

* * *

**Okay, well I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter…once again sorry it took so long. Reviews have been amazing, so lets keep it up yea?**


	10. The Palace of the Moon

**Hey everyone. Hope everyone is going well and enjoying this story. We're going to start getting into action here, and a lot of it. So for reference to me and everyone else I've laid out the troop unit sizes. (these are not how the unit sizes are really set up, there are usually more men in each unit, but I made it close, and these are only soldiers not including the officers)**

**Squad-10 men (Officer)**

**Platoon (four Squads)- 50 men (Corporal)**

**Company (four Platoons)- 200 men (Colonel)**

**Battalion (four Companies)- 800 men (Major)**

**Regiment (four Battalions)- 3,200 men (2****nd**** Lieutenant) **

**Brigade (two Regiments)- 6,400 men (1****st**** Lieutenant)**

**Division (two Brigades)- 12,800 men (Captain)**

**As I said these are approximate numbers that I'm modeling after military units. And each unit has its own commander but I'm still modeling the command structure of Bleach and I'm using military officers (whether or not they are in the right command order) as leaders…forgive me if you are in the military as I am not trying to cause offense by this structuring and officer command, I'm simply trying to organize the armies. Thank you.**

**Here's to the reviewers for last chapter.**

**To insomniac1970– yeah there was that braveheart influence there…should I have made him scream freedom? lol**

**To misshansson96– I stopped there cause I'm going to continue it in this chapter.**

**To ruby the hedgehog– thank you, I hope that this is a good chapter for you**

**To scr3am1ng1ns1l3nc3– if he cringed at that then he should read that torture scene from OSTS, lol.**

**To Omonomonom– haha, yeah it was pretty bad, though it could have been worse**

**To Sam Matthews– BINGO! Someone finally connected the dots! :D**

**To Rukes– yeah as I said Renji is going to try and make up for being an ass**

**To KatLady13– well thank you for taking the chance, glad you like it**

**To xwhitemoonx– lol, hopefully it will get more intense.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own bleach or anything that has to do with the military

* * *

**

Rukia rode on the back of the blue dragon, holding onto the spike in front of her as Byakuya held onto her from behind. There was a row of spikes running from the middle of his head to the tip of his tail which had three spikes pointing straight out on all sides for an equal twelve spikes. There were ridges above his eyes that were made of bone and two small spikes about half a foot long above each nostril. She patted the dragon's head and he snorted, puffs of smoke coming out of his nostrils.

Rukia smiled and chuckled a bit, thoroughly enjoying flying. Byakuya looked relaxed as they rode on the dragon's back and he yawned. Rukia looked over at the pink dragon that Kenpachi was riding with Ichigo in his arms. The pink dragon had a double row of spines from each ridge above the eyes down to the tail. The dragon had four big spikes about three feet long all pointing in the same direction towards the tip. There was a spike on the tip of the tail that could elongate much like a telescope.

The blue dragon suddenly closed his wings and lurched down and Rukia let out a small shriek and wrapped her arms around the spike tightly as Byakuya wrapped his arms around her. The dragon flipped his wings open and slowed down a bit before slamming into the ground. Rukia felt a jolt shake her body as the dragon touched down and she gathered herself before she jumped down, Byakuya right behind her.

"Ichigo!" Nel jumped up from where she had been sitting and ran over to Kenpachi who had jumped off the dragon's back. Byakuya ran by her and took Ichigo by the legs and set him on the ground. She turned around and watched as the blue dragon shrank down and turned into Grimmjow who was on all fours. He pushed himself up and walked over to where Ichigo lay.

"We need to get him to the palace," Grimmjow said and Kenpachi shook his head.

"He won't make it that far. He's lost too much blood and his heart weakens with each beat. We have to fix him up as best we can here Grimmjow," Kenpachi said as he took a kit from his bag and brought out a needle and thread. "He's lost too much blood already."

"Grimmjow," Ichigo moaned and Grimmjow knelt at his side. "Take Rukia and Byakuya to the palace and make sure they are safe."

"Yes Captain," Grimmjow said and Ichigo took his hand and held it tightly.

"Thank you Lieutenant," he said and Grimmjow rushed over to where Rukia and Byakuya were sitting.

"Rukia, Byakuya, come with me," Grimmjow said and led them a ways away.

"Where are we going?" Rukia asked.

"Ichigo's palace in the mountains," Grimmjow said and quickly changed back into a dragon. Rukia shook her head and stepped back towards Ichigo.

"Rukia lets go!" Byakuya snapped and grabbed her arm.

"No, I don't want to leave him! No!" Byakuya dragged the screaming Rukia onto Grimmjow's back and patted the scales on his neck to signal him. Grimmjow launched into the air and winged it towards the north where a small mountain range sat. Rukia held on tight, craning her neck as she tried to get one last look at Ichigo before the clouds enveloped them. Rukia faced forward again and felt tears come into her eyes.

"Come on Rukia. You'll see him again," Byakuya said and Rukia nodded as she covered her face with her hands and sobbed into them. Byakuya rubbed her shoulder as they flew through the air. Soon enough Rukia became quiet and started to slip off Grimmjow's back but Byakuya caught her and held her as she slept the rest of the flight.

Byakuya looked down and watched through the occasional breaks in the clouds as they flew over forests, rivers, plains, lakes, cities, and finally into the mountains. Byakuya shook Rukia lightly and she slowly opened her eyes and looked around at the snow covered mountain tops that peeked out above the clouds. Byakuya and Rukia both looked down and saw a cave entrance in the rock below with a small ledge where Grimmjow quickly lighted.

"It's nothing but a cave," Rukia said and slid off Grimmjow's back, Byakuya right behind her.

"Careful now," Grimmjow said as his bones snapped back into place. "It may look like a cave, but this is the only entrance that everyone knows…there is another one that only Ichigo and I know about though," he said and walked towards the dark mouth.

"But look at it. How can a palace be hidden in the mountain?"

"That's the ways it's built," Grimmjow said as he waited by the pitch black of the cave. "But trust me, it looks better than you would think," he grabbed a large tree branch from the ground and breathed a small stream of fire onto the tip which flared up.

Rukia and Byakuya followed Grimmjow through the cave until they reached a large gate 20 feet high. The gate was made of iron and had dragons carved into it along with large strips of iron bolted horizontally across the gate. Rukia and Byakuya stopped as Grimmjow held up a hand and lifted the torch high.

"I Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, Lieutenant to Captain Ichigo Kurosaki of Division 5 of the Dragon Warriors, have returned with two humans, Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki of Seireitei City. I seek entrance to the Palace of the Moon."

"Entrance granted honored Lieutenant. Any word on Captain Ichigo?" one of the guards called out and the gates started their slow creep backwards. When they were at their full open position Rukia and Byakuya blinked at the two lone guards who stood there holding large halberds in both hands with shields attached to their right arms. They wore steel chest guards, steel greaves, and steel bracers; the chest guards had Ichigo's orange dragon form on the front.

"He is gravely injured but is being looked after by Captain Zaraki and Lieutenant Kusajishi of Division 11," Grimmjow said and walked forward, motioning for Rukia and Byakuya to follow him. They walked past the gates, torches lined the walls along the inside to give enough light to see.

"Where are they?" the guard to the right asked quickly as he fell into step beside them.

"Miles south of here. They should be along shortly after they patch up Captain Ichigo."

"Should we call Captain Kurosaki and make sure he's here when they arrive?" Grimmjow stopped for a second and looked down at the man.

"Yeah, that may be a good idea," Grimmjow said and then shook his head. "We need rooms set up for the Captains and for our guests."

"Yes sir!" the man saluted him with hand over heart and gave a short bow before he jogged off.

"If you two will follow me I'll show you to the palace," Grimmjow said and walked up to another smaller gate to the right when the cave came to a fork with a gate on the left and a gate on the right. The gate swung inwards and they were met with a platoon of soldiers being led by a man with long black hair and green tattoos under his eyes. More torches set in the walls lit the corridor.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant Grimmjow," the man said in a clam emotionless voice and placed a hand over his heart and gave a short bow.

"2nd Lieutenant Ulquiorra Schiffer. What are you doing with a platoon Ulquiorra? Shouldn't you be with your Regiment?" Grimmjow greeted him with a salute.

"I decided to come and meet you with a small platoon of men as an escort sir," Ulquiorra replied and Grimmjow nodded slowly.

"Very well," he said and then motioned to Rukia and Byakuya. "These two are our honored guests here at the palace."

"Welcome to Palace of the Moon, home of Captain Ichigo Kurosaki," Ulquiorra said and gave them a small bow before turning back to Grimmjow. "The Captain's sword appeared outside the gate Lieutenant. We've placed it in the Captain's room. Is he okay?"

"Captain Ichigo is being injured. He's being watched over by Captain Zaraki and Lieutenant Kusajishi. They should be along soon and possibly with another human," Grimmjow said with a small frown and then motioned to Rukia and Byakuya. "Watch the gate carefully Ulquiorra. We may be having some trouble soon," Ulquiorra saluted them again and motioned to the soldiers who marched through the gate as Grimmjow lead them into the inner caves.

Rukia stopped mid step, her mouth dropping open at the sight that greeted her in the large cave that held a small city. The large castle that stood in the center of the cave was made of white marble though the out walls where made of stone. The towers rose high above the city and had arches, and long winding walkways that were open to the air, and gardens with fountains and small waterfalls. The walls of the cave were made of some glossy stone that reflected the light from the lanterns and made the cave shine like the moon.

"This is why it's called the Palace of the Moon," Rukia said in awe and Grimmjow nodded.

"Yes, it is. This is known as the most beautiful palace of the Dragon Warriors," Grimmjow grinned and smiled at Rukia and Byakuya. "Captain Isshin had this palace built for his wife Masaki before Ichigo was born. Ichigo was raised here his entire life, and when he became of age Captain Isshin gave Ichigo the palace as a gift."

"So where did Captain Isshin move to?"

"He has a second palace not far from here actually. About half a day's flight east of here," Grimmjow said and walked towards the 20 foot tall wall. The gate opened forwards with a wooden screech and the metal portcullis was raised with a loud clanging. There was a large pool of water around the palace with a small bridge that lead up to the front double door of the palace.

"And how are you getting a message to him?" Rukia asked and Byakuya shook his head.

"You haven't told her all this stuff? Why haven't you told her about Dragon Warriors?"

"We were attacked by a Dragon Warrior and her sister, my wife, was killed. She swore to kill all dragons. I couldn't tell her that she was going to marry one when she was older."

"You could have told her that not all dragons are evil," Grimmjow said and rolled his eyes.

"She's hardheaded. She wouldn't be able to get it through her thick skull," Byakuya grinned as Rukia fumed next to him.

"Hey! That's not nice Bya," she said and pouted making Byakuya and Grimmjow laugh. Suddenly Grimmjow stopped laughing and he looked at them.

"I'll get one of the Palace guards to show you to your rooms. I'm sorry to leave you now, but I have to see to our defenses. Good day and make yourselves at home," Grimmjow said and gave them both a short bow before leaving. A guard in a full suit of black metal armor, with an orange dragon on the front breastplate, approached them. His helmet was also black though it had two horizontal slits where the eyes were and three vertical slits where his mouth was. He held a large halberd in his hands and a tall shield on his left arm.

"You must be the guard that's going to show us to our rooms," Rukia said and he nodded.

"That I am Princess Rukia. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. We've been waiting on you for a long time," he said, his voice echoing from the slits in his helmet. "If you will follow me please," he turned on his heel and walked up the narrow bridge that would allow maybe four men abreast to pass over easily.

Rukia and Byakuya followed the guard up the walkway and through the door. The inside of the palace was filled with tapestries and portraits hanging on the wall. One of the portraits caught Rukia's eye and she stopped to look at it. A smiling woman was sitting in a wooden chair with two men behind her, each man holding a small baby. The woman had long brown hair that was so light it was almost orange. The man standing by her right arm had short black hair and a small smile on his face, the baby was wrapped in a pink blanket and had a small head of light colored hair. The other man she knew very well, his scowl in place beneath those beautiful amber eyes and bright orange hair, and in his arms was another baby also wrapped in a pink blanket though this one had black hair and a matching scowl on her little face.

"That is the Kurosaki Family," the guard said and Rukia looked at him, then around the room.

"But, the woman, she's not in any of the other portraits," Rukia said and Byakuya looked around and nodded in agreement. The guard motioned them to keep walking and continued to lead them into the palace.

"That is the Lady Masaki. She never liked having her portrait painted as she saw it too lady like. Back in a time over 200 years ago it was considered a great honor to marry a Dragon Warrior and have a family. The Lady Masaki, though she just likes to be called by her first name only, was a maid to princess who was very ugly to her. When Captain Isshin came to the palace to find his wife they gathered the princess and her five sisters. Well it just so happened that each princess had a maid with her and Lady Masaki was out there. Captain Isshin ignored all the princesses and asked the Lady Masaki to come walk with him. At first she said no because she thought that only royalty could marry a Dragon Warrior, but Captain Isshin was persistent and soon they were married."

"Wow," Rukia stood in awe of the story of how the two had met. "So why isn't she in any of the other portraits?"

"She never liked to pose like a lady because she always remembered what that horrible woman did to her."

"So she doesn't like to be royalty?" the guard nodded. "Wow. So who are the girls?"

"Those are the Captain's twin sisters. Princess Yuzu is the light hair child and Princess Karin is the dark haired one. Those two came out complete opposites is beyond everyone at the palaces," the guard scoffed and reached a large wooden door. "This will be your room Lord Byakuya," he said and Byakuya gave him a short bow.

"Thank you for your help."

"That's my job sir," the door closed behind Byakuya and the guard led Rukia to another door at the other end of the hall. "These are Captain Ichigo's rooms. You will be staying here with him."

"Thank you for the help," she said and the guard saluted with a fist over his heart before he walked away. Rukia opened the door and walked in, taking in the room around her. There was a large open room with lounge chairs, tables, portraits on the walls, large bowls of fruit on the tables, and a two fireplaces; one at each end of the room. Rukia's mouth dropped open at the sight and she saw another portrait on the wall, this one had Ichigo with his arms around his mother, his smiling face staring at them over her shoulder.

Rukia looked around and saw four doors in the walls, one on the right, one of the left, and two doors across the room in front of her. She walked over to the door on her right and opened it slowly. She saw a large bath area that had a large pool big enough for a dragon to bathe in. Around the pool there were columns and benches between those columns. Rukia had a sudden image of Ichigo bending her over each bench and fucking her senseless.

Rukia backed from the room and closed the door before she walked to the other door on the left side of the room. She opened the door with a small creak and she looked at the large room with bars and large stones and bricks. There were benches and chairs and complicated looking machines everywhere. Rukia walked over and touched one of the stones. It was smooth and it had grooves that she assumed was for handholds to lift them onto the machines. She turned and walked out of the room and stood there staring at the two doors.

She walked to the one on the left and opened it. There were weapons, armor, dummies, and the floor was covered in some sort of soft mat. There were also wooden practice weapons on the wall covering everything from small knives to large battle axes, short swords to maces, long bows to crossbows, and everything in between. She was astounded by all the weapons she saw, both practice and real.

Rukia walked over and grabbed one of the practice swords and swung it around for a moment before she replaced it and grimaced. She had lost her sword while fighting in Seireitei City as she and Byakuya escaped from the castle. In fact she had lost most of her weapons including her crossbow with which she had killed a confirmed 23 dragons and thought another 8 more. She sighed and looked wistfully at the weapons before she walked from the room and opened the last door knowing what is was going to be but not prepared for what she saw.

There was a large four poster bed against one wall, big enough for at least 5 people to lie on comfortably. The canopy above it was made of a material that was somewhat see through as were the curtains that hung over the windows. There were more curtains in front of those which were thick and heavy, used to keep out the cold. Two large wardrobes were set against the wall to her left and a large table with a mirror sat against another. It was a large room, but even then it seemed full with all the chests, chairs, cushioned benches, and large moveable shelves that held books, much like her personal library at home, which she had had to leave behind, though it was dwarfed compared to the one she stared at now.

She walked over to the bed and sat down on it, running her hands over the soft cotton coverlet and the satin pillows. She ran her hands under the coverlet and felt a soft fuzzy blanket and silk sheets under that. She sighed and closed her eyes, just imagining what Ichigo would do to her in that bed. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring at the canopy, the heat between her thighs almost unbearable. She quickly stood up and walked over to the door that she had just noticed between the two wardrobes. She walked over to it and pulled on the handle but found it locked. She furrowed her brows at it and tried again with the same result.

Rukia scowled at the offending door and opened the wardrobe on the left and found it filled with shirts and pants for Ichigo. She opened the door to the other wardrobe and found it empty so she figured it was for her. Rukia closed the door to the wardrobe and walked back over to the bed and stared at it for a moment before she yawned. Rukia pulled back the covers and tugged at the laces of her armor.

"Can I help with that my lady?" Rukia whirled around at the voice and saw a dark haired girl with her hair in a bun standing there, staring at the floor.

"Um, please," she said and the girl came forward quickly, her eyes still on the floor. She stopped by Rukia's side and started to pull carefully at the laces. "So, what is your name?" Rukia asked and the girl fumbled with the laces on the other side.

"I am just a humble maid my lady, not worthy of your time to name me," she muttered and helped pull the leather armor off Rukia's back.

"Well how am I supposed to get your attention if I don't know your name?"

"Well, the other servants call me Momo, my lady," she said and moved to the side as Rukia untied the laces of her shirt and pants.

"Okay, Momo, are you supposed to be my servant?" Rukia asked and looked at her. Momo gave her a slight nod.

"Yes, my lady," she whispered and Rukia stepped up in front of her. Rukia placed her hand under Momo's chin who flinched.

"Look at me," Rukia commanded and Momo slowly raised her head but kept her eyes diverted. "Look at me, Momo," Rukia said and Momo looked at her.

"I'm not supposed to look you in the eyes," she said and Rukia saw tears forming.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a lady, you're higher than me," she said and Rukia narrowed her eyes.

"How said that?" Momo shook her head. "Who said that?"

"It was how I was trained before Lord Ichigo found me," she said and Rukia raised an eyebrow.

"Where were you trained?"

"I was trained for Lord Aizen's chambers as his bed maid," Momo said, the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Doesn't Ichigo train you well?" Momo immediately dropped her eyes.

"Yes, my lady, he does."

"Then why are you still like this?" Rukia asked as she slowly removed her shirt.

"I was beaten to train me, my Lady. I guess I'm still afraid of that," Momo said and walked into the large room with the pool. She came back just as Rukia was slipping out of her pants. Momo held up a fuzzy robe in her hands. Rukia was used to getting dressed by maids, but she had to get used to Momo. Rukia stood there in the semi-cold air, goose bumps popping out on her flesh and her nipples hardening into stiff peaks. Momo came forward quickly and Rukia turned around and held her arms out allowing Momo to slip the robe over her.

Rukia slipped her arms through the sleeves and tugged the robe around her body, tying it in the front. She nodded to Momo and patted her shoulder, having always been nice to her servants and maids.

"Thank you, Momo. If I need any more help I'll be sure to call," Rukia said and Momo left the room with a quick bow. Rukia walked over to one of the windows and looked out of it down at the streets below. The people looked like busy little ants, just like normal people though she knew that most of them were dragons.

"Why did I ever think that all dragons were evil? All these people here live together like a large family, whether Dragon Warrior or human. They lived in peace and here I am trying to destroy that," Rukia said and wiped away the tears that started to overflow her eyes. Rukia turned back to the bed and slipped the robe from her body, letting it pools around her feet, before she crawled into the bed.

* * *

Renji rode through the meadows as fast as he could. He watched as the large pink dragon lifted off the ground and winged away as fast as it could. Renji urged his horse on after the dragon, completely oblivious to the large amount of mounted soldiers following him.

* * *

**Well, I hope you all liked it. It took me forever to get it finished. Reviews please**


	11. Family Reunited Literally

**Hello everyone. Sorry it took me this fucking long to update. I was writing as much as I could but it wasn't enough to get done. I finally sat myself down and wrote for about three hours and got the last 5 pages done. I seemed to have gathered quite a few followers with this, I hope that the long wait didn't turn everyone off from reading this :/ sorry if it did.**

**I have some good news ; I passed Physics with a C the last 9 weeks! WHOO! 70 baby! I win I win I win! :P I have one more 9 weeks of school left and then I graduate! HAHA, and I'm going to be going to *drum roll* the wonderous college of the University of Mississippi AKA: OLE MISS, fuck yeah I'm going to be a Rebel baby!**

**Anywho, this chapter is about 10 pages, 6, 400 words (approximate) and does reveal more to the story and some info that you have been waiting for :)) But now on to Reviews, having Windows 7 really helps with this part (Thank you whoever came up with the idea for the pop to the side for all pages).**

**To hinataellis– yeah sorry about the short chapters**

**To Jidt– yeah sorry about the long wait on these chapters, not too much longer left in school and I'm trying not to fail :/**

**To Ayashi Kinsho– you know I've played the first Dragon Age but I haven't gotten to Dragon Age 2 yet.**

**To insomniac1970– lol, yeah she does have a good imagination doesn't she? The Eragon books are okay, but the movie was horrible. **

**To Tenshi-no-Megami– no he won't die, not in this one, not yet**

**To Yuriski-1st– lol, Grimmjow does like to protect his best friend and Captain.**

**To Hakkuchi– yeah, well Ichigo's palace is, they are all in different places. But I like that you like it.**

**To Mexgirlmindy– thank you, sorry it was soo late.**

**To lord vlad– I'm going to go as long as I can on this one…my ideas don't end, the trick is getting them onto paper (or screen lol) before they disappear.**

**To Eilyn– LOL, love Tarantino movies :D well if you found out that you were with your soul mate wouldn't you be thinking of sex too?**

**To xwhitemoonx– they will be reunited soon, promise.**

**To blades of blood488– thank you, I shall keep it up.**

**To Ri696q– they are my kind of dragons ;)**

**To gummibear09– *rolls eyes* thanks babe lol**

**To When bleachscreams– thank you, I shall try to keep it up.**

**To J– lol, well I shall have more Rukia and Ichigo, but first I have to lay out the entire plot so you know whats going to happen to them. When that finally happens I promise that I'll work on their relationship more. K?**

**To Shirayuki– lol, sorry you've been starved from your oxygen for so long**

**To L– ROFLOL, that was so worth me…I make jokes like that all the time**

**To Jess– yeah I know, I'm really sorry about the long wait, the next one shouldn't be that long I hope.**

**To clear some things up, cause I know that people are going to ask, the Divisions are the same as in the Anime except for a few changes. Ichigo is Captain of the 5****th**** Division (Grimmjow= Lieutenant), Aizen the 9****th ****(Rangiku= Lieutenant), Isshin the 6****th****(Shuhei= Lieutenant), Kisuke the 12****th****(Tessai), Toshiro the 10****th**** (Karin= Lieutenant), and Yoruichi the 2****nd****(Soi Fon= Lieutenant). The other Divisions are all still the same.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH…or a dragon…JUST THIS IDEA!**

* * *

Rukia rushed down the hallway after hearing that Captain Isshin Kurosaki had arrived at the Palace of the Moon. She had quickly dressed in her shift and a blue dress with a black hem that touched the marble floor. It was now one of her favorite dresses since Momo had brought her a wardrobe full of clothes. It had a strip of violet down each side from under her arms to her waist and at the bottom of the violet strip the dress split for easier riding when on a horse…or a dragon.

She saw Byakuya standing by the gate at the entrance to the palace and she rushed over to him. She stood next to him as she tried to catch her breath. Byakuya looked down at her with a small smile and placed a hand on the small of her back as the large gate opened and a tall man with short black hair stepped through the gate. Rukia recognized him as Isshin Kurosaki from the paintings.

"Byakuya Kuchiki! You rotten flea bitten snake skinned bastard!" Isshin yelled as he walked over to Byakuya who opened his arms in greeting.

"Lord Captain Isshin Kurosaki of the Ninth Division. I never thought I'd ever see you again you goat bearded dog rutting man whore!" Byakuya yelled back and walked forward. They stopped right in front of each other and glared for a moment before they laughed and hugged each other.

"It's been too long Byakuya. Far too long. At least for you, for me 10 years is nothing, a mere blink of the eye," Isshin said and they stood back at arms length with smiles on their faces. "Now, explain to me why you are here, not that I mind of course."

"We had a little problem with a human lord by the name of Tosen-"

"Tosen? Kaname Tosen?" Isshin's face turned questioning at Byakuya's statement.

"Yeah, how did you know that name?" Byakuya asked and Isshin's face went flat.

"He's friends with a certain Dragon Warrior Captain," Isshin said and Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Captain Sosuke Aizen," Isshin said and Byakuya raised both eyebrows at that.

"But Tosen said that he was waging war on all Dragon Warriors. So how could he be friends with a Dragon Warrior Captain?"

"We've had raids on three towns owned by Dragon Warrior Divisions loyal to us," Isshin said and then shook his head. "We should go somewhere more private," he said and then saw Rukia and his smile returned.

"Captain Kurosaki," she gave him a small curtsy and Isshin swooped her up into a hug.

"Rukia! My dear girl, how have you been? I haven't seen you in 12 years. Look how you've grown and matured," Isshin grinned and put her down.

"I've been well enough Captain Kurosaki," Rukia said and Isshin chuckled.

"My dear girl. You are going to be my daughter someday, the least you could do is call me Isshin or dad," Rukia blushed and looked at the ground.

"What do you mean by that Isshin?" Byakuya asked and Isshin grinned.

"My son's mark is still on her essence. He still has claim on her."

"Can you explain to me about this claim thing please?" Rukia asked and Isshin nodded.

"Sure, but let's do that over tea shall we? Now, can someone tell me where my lazy ass, good for nothing, future father, son of mine is?" Byakuya and Rukia shared a look before they looked at the ground. "Well?"

"He's-" Byakuya started then frowned at the guard that came rushing up to them.

"My Lord Captain Kurosaki, Lord Captain Zaraki has arrived with your son," the guard said and Isshin smiled.

"Well let's go greet the little shit aye?" they all looked away and Isshin frowned. "What has happened to my son?"

"Let's go see him," Byakuya said and Isshin turned on his heel and fast walked down the tunnels, Byakuya, Rukia, and two squads of men right behind him. They arrived at the front gate a few minutes later and walked out onto the ledge where Kenpachi was standing holding up a wounded Ichigo with his arm slung across his shoulder. Yachiru rushed over to the gate and stopped short; she was pale and looked tired.

"Lord Captain Kurosaki," she said and bowed to him.

"What the fuck happened?" Isshin asked his face serious.

'That human, Tosen, got a hold of him," Kenpachi said as he walked up to them. "This girl's betrothed turned him into the lord and Tosen ordered him executed. We arrived just in time to save him," Isshin threw Ichigo's other arm over his shoulder and they helped him inside.

"Where is this man?"

"Right there," Byakuya said and pointed to Renji who had just ridden up the small pass from the valley below.

"You! Are you the man who turned my son in to be killed?" Isshin roared and Renji saw Ichigo and turned white.

"Y-y-yes sir," Renji stuttered and Isshin let Ichigo loose and drew the sword on his hip.

"Goat beard, stop," Ichigo muttered from where Kenpachi still had a hold of him. "Help me to my room," Isshin glared at Renji for a moment before he nodded and walked back to Ichigo.

"This isn't over boy,' Isshin said and he and Kenpachi started to carry Ichigo inside.

"Yachiru, let's go," Kenpachi called and Yachiru quickly broke her gaze away from Byakuya who had captured her attention. Byakuya cleared his throat and followed them all, Rukia right behind him.

"Rukia, Lord Byakuya, please wait," Renji called out to them and they stopped. "I'm sorry," he said and Rukia gave an unladylike snort and continued to walk after Ichigo and the others.

"We'll talk about this later, Abarai," Byakuya said and Renji hung his head and followed them into the gates.

"You again?" they all stopped and saw Grimmjow and Nel walking towards them. "What's this fuck doing here?"

"I followed Captain Kenpachi here," Renji said and Grimmjow shook his head, sticking his hands in his pockets as Nel slipped her arm through his and they stared at Renji for a moment.

"Eh," Grimmjow said and turned away from the gates.

"Lieutenant Grimmjow," they looked at the gates and saw a soldier pointing at the mouth of the cave where a large number of soldiers wearing Aizen's armor stood.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Grimmjow shouted as he pulled away from Nel and walked towards the gates. "I asked you a question. What the fuck are you-" there was thud and Grimmjow stopped walking as he grunted. He looked down and saw a crossbow bolt sticking from his chest.

"Close the gates!" Nel screamed as she grabbed Grimmjow and pulled him backwards. "Close those fucking gates!" Renji helped her drag Grimmjow back inside as the gates swung shut as quickly as they could. More bolts bounced off the gate as the soldiers rushed forward with shouts. The few guards that were stationed on the walls quickly started to fire back, using crossbows and longbows. There was barely a two foot gap between the top of the wall and the cave ceiling, allowing the guards to fire down but made it impossible to climb. There were also plenty of arrow slits in the walls and towards the ground there were holes that were just big enough to slip a spear through to stab at the attackers.

"Nel, alert Ulquiorra to the attack as well as the Captains. Go now, get the troops to their positions," he gasped and Nel nodded before she gave him a quick kiss and rushed off down the tunnels. "Renji, you stupid bastard, help me up and to the Palace."

Renji helped Grimmjow up and they made their way towards the gates that led to the Palace. They were passed by company upon company of soldiers; swordsmen, spearmen, archers, and men fully covered in armor carrying large axes, swords, or pikes. Renji helped Grimmjow up to the Palace where they met Rukia who was now wearing her Dragon Slayer armor and weapons. Byakuya was right behind her also in leather armor.

"This attack is by Aizen," Grimmjow said and they saw the bolt in his chest.

"Grimmy-bear," Nel ran down the stairs of the Palace and up the group of people. "You fucking asshole!" she screamed and punched Renji's right cheek. "You led them here. You led them right to us!" she punched his other cheek and he stumbled back.

"Nel, stop this. Save your strength baby, we're going to need all the help we can get," Grimmjow said and they looked up as Kenpachi and Isshin walked down the stairs.

"What the hell is going on?" Isshin growled when he saw the bolt in Grimmjow's chest.

"Aizen's forces are attacking us," Grimmjow said and Isshin let growl.

"Can the troops hold them off?"

"They'll fight until they're dead sir," Grimmjow replied and Isshin nodded and turned to Yachiru who was just coming down the stairs towards them.

"Lieutenant Kusajishi, we are going to take Ichigo and fly to Central 46 to attend to the wishes of the council. The council has ordered all Captains and their Lieutenants to the meeting."

"Lieutenants too? We're never allowed in on meetings though," Yachiru said in confusion and Isshin nodded.

"Exactly, which poses a severe problem. We know what the meeting is about and we're split at the moment. Seven favor Ichigo, three would rather kill him now, and two are undecided. Guess who the undecided ones are.'

"Aizen and Gin?" Grimmjow asked and Kenpachi nodded before answering.

"Yep, the two men who are part of the plot against Ichigo won't betray their true intentions."

"Who are the ones with Ichigo?" Yachiru asked and Isshin grimaced.

"Me, Head Captain Yamamoto, Shunsui, Ukitake, Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Kenpachi. Which leaves Unohana, Hitsugaya, and Komamura against us all."

"Wait a minute, isn't Captain Hitsugaya mated to one of your daughters?" Yachiru asked and Isshin nodded.

"Hey that's right, then why is he against us?" Kenpachi asked and Isshin shook his head.

"Something to do with the fact that if 'The Highly Esteemed and Almighty Council' gives an order we have to follow it no matter what. I know for certain that Karin has cut him off for that," Isshin said and everyone laughed. "It's made him extremely testy lately."

"Well that sucks for him. He should have chosen the family," Grimmjow wheezed and they nodded solemnly. "Now if someone doesn't mind…WOULD YOU PLEASE GET THIS FUCKING THING OUT OF ME?" he screamed and they quickly helped him lay on the ground.

"Kenpachi, hold him still," Isshin said and Kenpachi placed his hands on Grimmjow's shoulders. Isshin pulled on the bolt and, with a slight sucking sound, ripped it from his chest. Grimmjow let out a small yelp of pain before he sighed in relief as the wound in his chest closed.

"Well, that feels a lot better," Grimmjow said and stood up, stretching his arms. "So are we just going to fly to Central 46 and leave Ulquiorra in charge?"

"Who?" Isshin asked and Grimmjow raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth when he closed it again.

"Yes, Ulquiorra will be in charge and Renji will stay here under his command," they all turned around and saw Ichigo walking slowly towards them. Renji grimaced as Ulquiorra walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go bastard," he said and dragged Renji away.

"Ichigo," Rukia said softly and he smiled at her for a moment before he turned to his father. "Good to see you again goat face," he said and Isshin nodded.

"Good to see you up and at em boy," Isshin said and Ichigo nodded once at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," Ichigo said and Isshin hit him on the head.

"You should know better than that. There are ladies present," Isshin scolded and Ichigo glared at him.

"Shut up," Ichigo growled and Isshin threw a punch at him. Ichigo knocked his hand aside and kicked him in the face. Ichigo grunted and leaned over in pain as Isshin went flying. Rukia, Grimmjow, and Nel were immediately at his side.

"You okay?" Rukia asked as Grimmjow helped Ichigo stay up. Ichigo's shirt was open a bit and they saw bandages wrapped around his chest.

"Yeah. So what is this I hear about Aizen's men attacking us?" he asked and they shook their heads.

"There is a small army outside the gates and they are wearing Aizen's colors," Grimmjow said and held up a bolt. "They stuck this in my chest."

"But the gates are holding right?" Ichigo asked and Grimmjow nodded.

"Good. Now how are we going to get to Central 46?" Ichigo asked as Isshin rejoined them.

"We are going to fly. Grimmjow will take Nel and Ichigo, I'll take Rukia and Byakuya, and Yachiru will take Kenpachi," Isshin said and they all nodded. "Now let's go," he started to walk towards the palace.

"But, Isshin. How are we going to get out? The enemy is blocking the gates," Rukia said and Isshin grinned back at her.

"There is a secret passage, remember I told you about there being one," Grimmjow said and Rukia nodded, her eyes wide as she remembered. "That is what we are going to use."

"Oh, okay then," Rukia said and followed them towards the palace. They walked towards the palace and through the front gate.

"But, we're going to stay here and have tea real quick first," Isshin said and everyone groaned.

"We don't have time for this goat beard," Ichigo said and Isshin aimed a punch at him, which he dodged.

"We always have time for tea. Yamamoto will understand if we are a bit late. We don't have to be there for another day at least," they walked into the large sitting area and sat down.

"I'll take my leave now Captain Isshin, Captain Ichigo," Kenpachi said and gave them each a small bow. "Come Yachiru."

"Yes Kenny," she bowed to them and, with one last look at Byakuya who quickly looked away from her eyes, she followed Kenpachi out the door. They waited for a moment as Momo and another servant brought in cups and pots of tea.

"Thank you Momo, you may go," Ichigo said and Momo curtsied to them all and left. "Now. Why are we here drinking tea?"

"We have much to discuss. First thing on the list is the claiming of people. Rukia since you asked, why not tell me specifically what you want to know?"

"Well, can you clear up exactly how it works?"

"When a dragon, or Dragon Warrior in this case, claim someone as their mate it is an unconscious thing. They don't really realize that they do it, but all other creatures, save humans, can sense it. Now a Dragon Warrior can't claim more than one person and they can only claim one person their entire lives. That only happens when the two, the Dragon Warrior and the one being claimed, both subconsciously agree to it. So if you hadn't wanted to be with Ichigo then he couldn't have claimed you."

"So I just allowed myself to be claimed? I was like three or four at the time though," she said and Isshin grinned as Ichigo hid his face in the tea cup.

"True, but your heart and your brain apparently wanted him even then because he was allowed to mark you as his."

"So even then you could say that it was love at first sight?" Rukia asked and Isshin nodded happily.

"Exactly! See Ichigo she is smart."

"Shut it old man," Ichigo growled and then shook his head. "What else is there that we have to discuss?" Isshin's face became serious.

"There have been small assaults on three towns owned by Dragon Warriors loyal to you. One of your towns; a small farming community, and two of Kisuke's towns; one a port, the other a small mining town. By the looks of things the attacks were conducted by the same person, or people, and the same army. They used similar tactics on each town."

"How many lost?" Ichigo asked and Isshin let out a low growl.

"Every man in your town was killed. Kisuke's port city was burned to the ground and the mining colony everyone was slaughtered. He has moved troops and people back to the mining colony but the port city is beyond repair. I've taken the liberty of ordering some of my human troops and more people to your town."

"Thank you father," Ichigo said and nodded his head. "Do we know who lead the attacks?"

"Our reports indicate that it was a mix of humans and Dragon Warriors. They took their dead with them to be buried. Those some of the people who survived from the port and from your town said that they had Shades and Readers with them."

"Then we are in trouble if there are Shades and Readers with them," Byakuya said and Rukia looked at him.

"Seriously? You too Bya?"

"Rukia, we told you those stories for a reason," Byakuya said and she raised her eyebrows at him. "We were trying to prepare you for what you were going to find out when you went out in the world. You chose to make it stories to separate yourself from the real world because you hated dragons and other things."

"So they were all true?" Rukia asked and Byakuya nodded.

"Yes, they were all true stories about heroes, but not all of these "Dark Creatures" are actually evil Rukia," Byakuya said and Rukia looked at the toes of her feet that were poking out beneath her dress. "Look at Ichigo and Isshin, Grimmjow and Kenpachi. They are Dragon Warriors yet don't they look out for you?"

"Yes, they do. I was wrong about them being mindless beasts. I'm sorry guys," she said quietly, looking at them for a moment before she lowered her head again.

"It's okay," Ichigo said and took another sip of tea. "You thought what you did because of what happened to you. I know how it feels," he said and then shook his head. "Anyway, we need to get going now that all this is out of the way," he said and stood up slowly.

"You sure you're ready son? Don't you need more time?" Isshin asked as Grimmjow stood up and grabbed a hold of Ichigo.

"No, I'm good. Fully healed," he said with a grin as he stood up straight then grimaced as he hunched over. "Oaky, mostly healed. By the time we get to Central 46 I'll be fine," he said and Byakuya shook his head.

"You are an idiot," he said and Ichigo grinned.

"Eh, maybe, but who's going to be your brother in law some day?" Ichigo asked with a grin and Byakuya gave him a flat look.

"If I let you live that long," he said and everyone laughed lightly as they stood and followed Isshin towards one of the large portraits, this one of a serious looking Ichigo in a uniform. He had on dark blue pants and a dark green dress coat with long sleeves, both dark enough to look almost black yet light enough to tell the colors apart. There were silver bars on each lapel, gold weaves that looked like DNA down each arm from the neck to the wrist, and gold cufflinks. He had on a pair of white gloves with small black lines from the tips of each finger to the wrist, meeting at one point. He had his hair slicked back to make himself look more presentable yet he still looked like the same Ichigo.

"Everyone in," Ichigo said and he tapped the bottom right corner of the portrait, which was about 20 feet tall, and the portrait snapped open with a click. Grimmjow and Isshin pulled the portrait forward and Ichigo climbed into the large hole in the wall that was just tall enough to let Ichigo pass without bending over. Once everyone was in Isshin and Grimmjow followed and pulled the portrait back in place.

"Follow me," Grimmjow said as he grabbed a torch and let out a small stream of fire to start the torch to light the way. They followed as he walked down the large tunnel until they came to what appeared to be a rock wall but they could see through it as though it was a pane of smoked glass.

"Stand back," Ichigo said and they followed his directions as he stood in front of the wall spoke in the guttural dragon tongue. The rock shattered and he walked through the hole and into a large forest.

"Where are we?" Rukia asked and Ichigo grinned. As they all followed him into the trees.

"There's a reason why goat face built the palace here. We're currently 10 miles from the palace," he said and Rukia gasped as Byakuya's eyes widened.

"How?" Byakuya asked and Isshin grinned.

"Ichigo's mother was a magic user, therefore he has a bit of magic in him too as well as Dragon Warrior blood which holds magic itself. This forest and the mountains that he lives in are full of magic, so he can control it which is why the walls glow and how we got the palace built in the first place."

"That still doesn't explain anything," Rukia said and her mouth dropped open in surprise as Ichigo turned back to the hole and spoke again. This time the rocks on the ground lifted into the air and reformed the wall, the outside of the rock matched the mountain side.

"Wow," she said and Byakuya shrugged.

"I've seen better," he said and looked around the forest. "So we're going to fly away from here?"

"Yes," Grimmjow said and they heard bones snap as he and Isshin started to change. Isshin was large, just a bit bigger than Ichigo, and black. There was a small spike on the tip of each wing and at the edge where the vein met the hard skin. He had a ridge of spines from each eye to the bottom of his neck. His tail was just like Ichigo's except a bit longer and thinner.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Rukia asked and Ichigo grinned.

"You get used to it after awhile Rukia," he said and then climbed onto Grimmjow's back and helped Nel up and she sat behind him as Byakuya crawled onto Isshin and helped Rukia up to sit in front of him. Rukia felt jealousy burn in her stomach as she watched Nel wrap her arms around his waist and lean against his back. When Ichigo placed a hand on her hand Rukia could have screamed. Both dragons leaned back on their hind legs and launched themselves into the air.

Nel looked over at her and frowned at the look of rage on Rukia's face. She tilted her head to the side and stared at Rukia. Nel's eyes widened in realization and she shook her head at Rukia with a small smile.

'_He's like my brother Rukia, nothing more nothing less.'_ Rukia nearly fell off Isshin's back at the sudden voice in her head. She looked over at Nel who smiled at her and nodded. _'Yes, I can speak to you telepathically. I am a magic user, a sorceress of sorts.'_

'Can you here my thoughts?' Rukia thought to herself and Nel nodded.

'_I try not to, but in cases like this I can.'_ Nel replied and Rukia took a deep breath and nodded.

'So Ichigo is your brother?'

'_More like an uncle. He took me in and let me mate with Grimmjow. He likes to think of me as a sister.'_ Nel said and smiled at Rukia as they tore through the clouds into the sun. Rukia nodded and left it at that.

Soon they drove through the clouds and Rukia gasped when she saw the large sparkling city that sat on the edge of the sea. There were large walls in three sections making rings; the markets were between the first and second walls, the homes between the second and third, and the barracks behind the third. There was a large tower, made of some sort of brown stone, in the center of the city, thirteen thin spiral towers surrounding it.

Rukia looked over at Ichigo who was smiling slightly, apparently happy to be home. Rukia looked at the towers again and then let out a small shriek as the dragon's plummeted towards the ground. She hung onto Isshin's large scaled neck as he snapped his wings open and flew over the ground. She heard Byakuya roar with laughter, something she hadn't heard since Hisana was killed. Both dragons flew to one of the towers that had a banner on it with a large black 5. They set down on a ledge that joined a large room and Rukia slid off, Byakuya right behind, as Ichigo and Nel jumped down and walked over to them.

"So how was that three hour flight?" Ichigo asked and Rukia blinked.

"Three hours?" Rukia gasped and Isshin shook his head. He and Grimmjow were dressed in armor.

"Don't let him fool you," he said and Rukia glared at Ichigo. "It was more like four and half," Isshin replied with a small smile as he started to sip at a cup of tea.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to your tower for the meeting?" Ichigo asked and Isshin set the cup down.

"Almost forgot about that," he said and walked to the edge of the balcony and leapt off. They watched as he flew away.

"So Ichigo. Where do we sleep?" Byakuya asked and Ichigo grinned.

"Guest quarters," he said and lead them to a staircase.

* * *

Isshin landed on the ledge of his tower and was met by his Lieutenant. Isshin quickly walked towards the closet that held his uniform. He opened the closet and stared at the one article of clothing that he hated.

"Has the council been convened yet, Shuhei?" Isshin asked as his black haired Lieutenant came forward and helped him from his armor.

"Not yet sir. Captain Hitsugaya thinks that they will be within the hour not that Captain Ichigo is back," Isshin nodded.

"Any changes in loyalty?" he asked as he stepped out of his clothes, leaving his well muscled body to shine in the light.

"Captain Hitsugaya wanted to talk to you before the meeting. Should I call him?"

"Please do Shuhei. Anything else I need to know?" Isshin pulled on a pair of black pants with a stripe of green about an inch wide down the outside of each leg. Shuhei came back from sending a messenger dragon, a tiny little lizard with wings that could spew a little stream of fire; good for cooking, lighting candles, and carrying messages but useless for everything else.

"Well, Head-Captain Yamamoto seems to think that the Council won't banish or kill Captain Ichigo. They are afraid of a civil war between the Divisions loyal to us and those that are against us. If Captain Hitsugaya comes to our side then it's eight versus three and you know Unohana won't fight."

"Wait. Did you say eight versus three?" Isshin asked and turned to Shuhei as Shuhei held up a black jacket with green stripes down each arm.

"Um, yes sir."

"Aizen and Gin have sided against Ichigo?"

"Um, yes sir. They spoke out this morning against Captain Ichigo raising an army to attack Central 46."

"This morning? They're here?"

"Yes sir. They spoke out against Captain Ichigo and have been locked with the council members for the last two hours. Komamura was asked to join them about half an hour ago," Isshin nodded and let Shuhei help him with his jacket.

"I have a bad feeling about this council meeting. Where is Toshiro?" he asked just as a large black dragon landed. It had the same wings as Isshin but the same ridges as Ichigo. Its tail was just a bit thicker than Ichigo's but still the same. A short white haired man jumped to the ground and waited as the black dragon changed into a black haired girl who appeared to be about 18. She was about two inches shorter than Toshiro with a modest breast size. She took his hand without hesitation and they walked over to Isshin and Shuhei.

"Dad, Shuhei," Karin greeted her father.

"And how's my darling little Karin!" Isshin screamed and unsuccessfully tried to hug her, unsuccessfully because Karin delivered a kick to his face.

"You know not to hug me dad," she said calmly and Toshiro raised an eyebrow before he shook his head. "What the hell are you shaking your head about?" she snapped at him and crossed her arms under her breasts as he gave her a small smirk.

"I thought you liked hugs," he said and she gave him a small glare before sighing in defeat.

"Fine. Just from you though," she said and he grinned again.

"Sorry about that dad," Toshiro said and Isshin nodded as he got up.

"Don't worry about it, I deserved that," he said and held his bleeding nose. "So, what brings my lovely daughter and her handsome Captain here?"

"I wanted to talk to you sir," Toshiro said, all business now.

"Oh?"

"It's about all this that has been going on. I wanted to apologize and tell you that I'm joining your side."

"Well that is very nice, but why?" Isshin said and Toshiro and Karin shared a look.

"Can we tell everyone at dinner tonight before the meeting?" Karin asked nervously and Isshin looked at them both. He had never seen either one of them be embarrassed before and it was creeping him out.

"Uh, sure. That'll be in half an hour Shuhei?" Isshin asked and Shuhei nodded. "Half an hour. Where is your sister?"

"I don't know where Ichigo is," Isshin rolled his eyes. "I don't know where Yuzu is. She disappeared a while ago and I haven't seen her since."

"She didn't tell you where she was going?"

"Nope," Karin said and Isshin shrugged again.

"Interesting. I've never smelled any mark on her essence so either she's not been marked, or they found a way to mask it."

"Lord Captain Kurosaki," a messenger said from the doorway and they all turned to him. "Head-Captain Yamamoto would like a word. He'll be in your private dining hall," the messenger bowed and left.

"Well, looks like we're going to be dining with the Head-Captain. Someone please tell Ichigo to bring his guests to the 6th Division dining hall?" Isshin said and walked from the room. The others walked with him as they went down to the dining hall and saw the Head-Captain sitting at Isshin's left. The right seat being open as a sign of respect for Ichigo. Isshin sat right next to Yamamoto who stood up and placed a hand over his heart.

"Captain Isshin Kurosaki. It is good to see you again, if not for this horrible reason. It looks as if Captain Hitsugaya has joined us, is this correct Toshiro?" Yamamoto asked as Toshiro and Karin walked over to the table.

"Yes, Head-Captain, it is," Toshiro said as he stood next to Yamamoto. They all looked over at the door as Ichigo, Grimmjow, Nel, Rukia, and Byakuya walked in.

"You brought Humans here?" Yamamoto asked, angry that a rule had been broken.

"Cool your head old man," Ichigo said as he and Grimmjow saluted him. Nel curtsied as Rukia and Byakuya stood over to the side.

"You have broken the Council's Law," he said sternly and Ichigo grinned.

"Since when have I ever obeyed their laws? Head-Captain Yamamoto, with all due respect to you, I would like you to meet my future mate and her brother; Rukia and Byakuya Kuchiki, formerly of Seireitei City."

"What do you mean formerly?" Yamamoto asked and Ichigo directed everyone where to sit. Grimmjow sat to his right, Byakuya to his right, Rukia sat next to Byakuya. Toshiro sat next to Yamamoto, Karin sat next to him, and Nel sat next to Karin.

"Now that we are here and seated let's eat," Ichigo said but Yamamoto shook his head.

"We need to talk Captain Kurosaki," he said and bother Ichigo and Isshin shared a look before Ichigo sighed.

"Fine. What is it?"

"The law states that Dragon Warrior Captains may not have contact with their human mates or their offspring. So why did you bring her here?"

"I can answer that Head-Captain," Isshin said and cleared his throat. "Ichigo claimed Rukia when she was only three."

"Wait what?" Ichigo asked his eyes wide.

"Yes. You claimed her when she was three. We used a mage to wipe your memory of her because of the law. Anyway, Ichigo claimed her when she was three years old and then you made that fucked up beyond belief law. You know how long I had to fight to keep Masaki alive? Your law tortured us Yamamoto. So yes, Ichigo claimed her before the law, and I'm not going to fight against my son and his happiness."

"Very well. I will not fight against him either. However this business with raising an army to destroy Central 46 is beyond the ability of mine to protect."

"I'm not raising a damn army!" Ichigo shouted, his face turning red.

"If not you then who is?" Yamamoto asked and Byakuya raised his hand.

"I may be able to spread some light on the subject if you'll permit me to speak Lord Captain," he said and Yamamoto turned his gaze to Byakuya and nodded.

"Very well then. Speak and let's see what you have to say," Yamamoto said and Byakuya took a deep breath.

"Well a few days ago when Ichigo was brought to my city by my guards it was my surprise that he was with Rukia and her betrothed Renji Abarai. Well it seems that Renji had it in his head that Ichigo needed to be killed because he was getting close to Rukia so he had somehow contacted a man by the name of Kaname Tosen, a human lord. This lord came to Seireitei City, my home, and occupied it with his forces. He told me how he was friends with a certain Dragon Warrior Captain named Aizen, and that they were planning on destroying Central 46, which by the way is a magnificent place."

"So this Lord Tosen admitted to this?"

"Yes sir, he did. Tosen said that Aizen was the man behind the whole plan."

"Where there is one there is the other," Yamamoto said and everyone else nodded. "Gin Ichimaru."

"They are behind this? They've always been my friends though," Ichigo said and Isshin nodded.

"They have acted like it haven't they?"

"So if they are planning the attack, then what are they doing with the Council?" Toshiro asked and Yamamoto opened his mouth to reply. A tiny dragon winged into the room and landed on the table. Isshin waved his hand at the dragon and it opened it's mouth.

"You have been summoned to the meeting my Lord Captains, Honored Head Captain; gather your Lieutenants and report to the Council chamber immediately," they heard the gruff voice of the Head Council member through the dragon's mouth. As soon as the message was delivered the dragon closed its mouth and flew away.

"Looks like we're about to find out," Isshin said and stood up, everyone following his lead. "We'll be using the tunnels, so everyone get ready."

They followed Isshin down the halls towards a large silver door in the shape of a dragon curling around the tail starting at the outside and curling in till its nose touched its stomach. Isshin blew a stream of fire from each nostril and the door slide open revealing a small boat looking object. It was about 15 feet long and had enough seats to hold at least 20 people. There were rows of three except the front where there were only two.

"Everyone in," Ichigo said as he climbed in and helped Rukia in. They sat down and Isshin briefed them.

"For those of you who have never used a pod before it's very simple. We close the large glass dome, press that button, and steam engines crank a chain to pull us towards the chambers. As the pod gets closer the machine slows down until we come to a stop. The trip will take a few minutes seeing as we're about two miles from the Tower of the 46. Remember that once we get there let the Captains speak, everyone else will be silent until spoken to or asked to speak. That means you especially Karin, am I clear?" the Lieutenants and Kuchikis nodded before Isshin nodded once and sat down. He pulled a lever and the dome snapped shut.

"And here we go," Ichigo said and hit a red button as he sat in the chair next to his father. There was a rumble and the pod shot off through the dark tunnel, heading towards their summons.

* * *

**Well the next chapter is going to be the meeting and that's going to be interesting. ;) at least from where I'm sitting, er reading, uh typing…eh you get it**


	12. The Council

**READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE YOU READ! IT IS IMPORTANT! THESE ARE THE UNIFORMS!**

**Aizen: **All white dress coat with long sleeves and sky blue lapels and collar. The pants are also white but with sky blue stripes down the outside of each leg. Gold loops on the cuffs and silver bars on the lapels. Full black gloves with silver lines from each finger tip to the center of the back of the hand where they meet in a loop

**Gin: **Dark grey pants and jacket with red stripes down each sleeve and the sides. Silver bars on the lapels and two crossed swords of gold on each shoulder. Grey gloves with black lines from the last knuckle to halfway down the back of the hand.

**Ichigo: **Dark blue pants and a dark green dress coat with long sleeves, both dark enough to look almost black yet light enough to tell the colors apart. Silver bars on each lapel, gold weaves that looked like DNA down each arm from the neck to the wrist, and gold cufflinks. He had on a pair of white gloves with small black lines from the tips of each finger to the wrist, meeting at one point.

**Isshin: **Black pants with a stripe of green about an inch wide down the outside of each leg. A black jacket with green stripes down each arm and gold rings down each arm to the elbow. Silver bars on lapels and silver cufflinks. Dark green gloves with a white line from each fingertip to the wrist.

**Yamamoto:** Dark Purple pants and coat (purple is sign of high rank) purple gloves with blue lines across the knuckles. Silver bars on the lapels. Blue stripes down each sleeve and leg from the knee to the ankle and the elbow to the wrist.

**Yoruichi: **Black dress with silver bars on the wrists. Simple dress because she's Shadow Division. Black gloves with two white parallel horizontal lines, the bottom shorter than the other

**Urahara: **white pants and jacket with silver lines down the legs and arms. Silver bars on the lapels. White gloves with two black lines on the back, same as Yoruichi's.

**Toshiro: **Ice blue jacket and pants with a sapphire blue down each leg to the knee. Gold line from the shoulder to the wrist. Black gloves with ice blue from the first knuckle from the tip of the finger to the last knuckle. Silver bars on the lapels.

**Kenpachi:** Blood red coat and pants with gold strips from the waist to the knee and shoulder to elbow. Red gloves with gold lines from the finger tip to the first knuckle. Silver bars on the lapels.

**Ukitake:** soft gold color coat and dark yellow pants. Silver bars on lapels and silver lines down each leg. Gold gloves with black lines across every knuckle

**Shunsui: **blue jacket and pants and a straw hat. Gold and silver stripes on each leg and arm (two silver flanking a gold) and dark blue gloves with no lines or markings.

**Unohana:** Crimson dress that touches the floor. Long sleeves with fluffy white lace at the wrists. Silver bars on the dress at the wrists. White hat (like a old fashion nurses hat that curves up at the front to a point) with a blue and red cross on the front. Line from the top right of the cross to the bottom left, the right side blue the left red. White gloves with the cross on the back.

**Komamura: **brown jacket and pants with black and grey mixed in. brown gloves with a dog's head on the back. Silver bars on the lapels. Simple clothes, not much in way of decoration.

**(The Lieutenants wear the same thing except for the Lieutenants of the opposite sex of their captains (they wear dresses with the same markings) and the marks of rank (single silver bar) compared to Captains (Double silver bar with a small connecting piece between them) okay that's it then, you can skip the rest if you want)**

**Well here is the next chapter. This one is long and not too late! HAHA…well the chapter starts what we've all been waiting for…no not IchiRuki Lemons…not yet ;) umm…failed my last physics test, 56, have a month and a half of school left, looking for a job, spending time with my girl…so yeah I'm busy again lol.**

**Well this chapter is of course the trial just like I promised, but bear with me cause I do a lot of description.**

**Well now onto reviews…seems like I lost some followers, oh well :(**

**To hinataellis– no, no lime…I did my best to explain things so it's easier to understand**

**To dbzgtfan2004– I shall indeed continue**

**To Ri696q– well thank you, lol, makes me feel good to know that you waited even though it was hard.**

**To Tenshi-no-Megami– Ah, this chapter explains all of that**

**To Shirayuki– uh, what do you mean by "relation" and Ichigo is roughly 150 years old…I believe I said that Karin and Yuzu were born 50 years previously and Ichigo a hundred before that…it still young by Dragon Warrior standards, Yamamoto is like 2000 years old.**

**To lordvlad– haha, yeah it is great pie…awesome, 6 stars is great!**

**To insomniac1970– yes Isshin is funny…I like Toshiro and Rangiku, but Karin seems more of his pair in this one you know?**

**To gummibear09- :D knew you would appreciate that babe...I LOVE YOU TOO!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH! I've just been reading it on Manga Reader :) I do however own my brain and this plot…and any, or most, kids that I create.**

* * *

Ichigo sat in his seat against the wall with Grimmjow at his right. There was a short wall of wood about an inch thick and two feet high that separated his box with the boxes next to him. All thirteen Divisions had their own boxes along the circular wall in sequential order, the First Division box starting at the right hand side of the large overhang where the head of the council sat and went around until the Thirteenth Division ended at the left of the overhang.

He watched as the Captain talked with their Lieutenants, except for Aizen whose Lieutenant wasn't there, and Ichigo felt a small stab of fear as Aizen looked over at him and smiled, the light glinting off his glasses. Ichigo glanced over at Gin who was talking with his Lieutenant, Izuru Kira and shook his head. He looked to his right and his father turned to him and smiled.

"Be calm Ichigo. This isn't your first Council Meeting," Isshin said and Ichigo grimaced.

"No, but it's the first Council Meeting where I'm being summoned for a crime, and one that I'm not committing," Ichigo countered and Isshin nodded solemnly.

"True my son, true," he said and they looked up at the overhang as a man in a long white robe with a black dragon on the front, curling around itself like on the tunnel doors, stepped up to the podium and smacked the gavel to quiet everyone.

"Quiet! Silence!" he called out and every Captain and Lieutenant looked up at him. "We are gathered today for a very serious and grave offense. Captain Ichigo Kurosaki of the 5th Dragon Warrior Division please step forward," Ichigo took a deep breath and stood up, walking forward to stand on the floor in front of the Head Councilman.

"I Captain Ichigo Kurosaki of the 5th Dragon Warrior Division stand before you High Council as I have been summoned," he said and stood at attention before the council.

"You have been summoned to appear before this council on the grounds of treason against the Dragon Warriors," not one sound was made as Ichigo stood there. "For the crime of treason the penalty is death. For the crime of conspiracy to overthrow the council the punishment is death. You are charged with raising an army with the intent to cause war against the Dragon Warriors. How do you plead?"

"Innocent of all charges," Ichigo said and the man glared down at him.

"Should we call the first witness?" the Head Councilman asked and Ichigo gave him a shrug. "Very well then. Captain Sosuke Aizen of the 9th Dragon Warrior Division, please step forward," Aizen stood up and walked over to stand next to Ichigo.

"I Captain Sosuke Aizen of the 9th Dragon Warrior Division stand before you High Council, ready to answer your questions as needed," he said and stood next to Ichigo. His uniform was all white with sky blue lapels and collar.

"Captain Aizen, please tell us why you have come here today?"

"I came to present my findings against Captain Ichigo Kurosaki to the High Council and my fellow Captains."

"Proceed."

"I have found that Captain Ichigo has had contact with a man named Kaname Tosen, a human lord. This Kaname Tosen hates Dragon Warriors with a passion and wants to destroy us all. With Ichigo's help he has raised said army and is marching here as we speak. I move that we raise an army ourselves to defend our families and destroy this man."

"I second that motion," Gin said from his chair and everyone rolled their eyes. Where there was one there was the other. Ichigo stood there and closed his eyes, shaking his head. Gin and Aizen were the most "trustworthy" Dragon Warriors because their families were very powerful and well known.

"Very well. Ichigo Kurosaki, you are here-by sentenced to execution. Anyone oppose?"

"Aye!" Isshin stood up at the same time that Kenpachi did.

"Aye!" Toshiro, Ukitake, Shunsui, Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Yamamoto stood up as well. It was so quiet they could hear a pin drop.

"So who supports the Council?" the Head Councilman asked and Unohana and Komamura stood up.

"I support the Council," they said at the same time.

"So, eight against four," he said and glared at the 8 who were supporting Ichigo. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"I support Ichigo because he is my son and he is innocent of these charges," Isshin said and sat down.

"I support Ichigo because he is my friend," Kenpachi said and sat down.

"I support Ichigo because he is my brother," Toshiro sat down.

"I support Ichigo because he has always been there for me," Kisuke sat down.

"I support Ichigo because he gave me my mate," Yoruichi gave a small grin to both Ichigo and Kisuke before she sat down.

"I support Ichigo because he is one of the best friends that I know," Ukitake said and sat down slowly as he started to cough.

"I support Ichigo because I trained him in everything and know what he could and couldn't do," Yamamoto sat down and glared hard at the Head Councilman.

"I support Ichigo cause if he died who would go drinking with me?" Shunsui asked and sat down to small chuckles from most Captains and Lieutenants and some of the Council members. The Head Councilman's glare quieted them though and Ichigo shook his head with a small smile.

"Why do you support the execution of Ichigo Kurosaki?" the Head Councilman asked and Komamura spoke up first.

"It is the duty of the Division Captains to support the Council no matter what."

"I don't like spilling blood, however if he is guilty of a crime that warrants death then death it shall be," Unohana said softly and bowed her head.

"I support the Council because that is my duty; to protect the Dragon Warrior Divisions," Aizen said.

"I support Aizen, not the Council," Gin said and Aizen gave him a small smile.

"Four against eight," Aizen said and shook his head.

"Aizen, Gin. You were my friends," Ichigo said and Aizen gave him a small grin.

"Yes, was. However you decided to try and take over Central 46 so you had to die.

"Captain Aizen. We will decide the date of his death."

"But Captain. What if there are other conspirators here? Any one of these eight who oppose us could be an accomplice, or all eight for that matter," Aizen said and Gin stood up and banged his fist on his chair armrest.

"Here here," he shouted and Aizen nodded.

"You overstep your bounds Captain Aizen," the Head Councilman said as he stood up slowly. "Ichigo is the only one on trial here. You will not be allowed to bring others into this without proper evidence of their betrayal."

"They don't even have proper proof of betrayal of my son!" Isshin said as he stood up quickly and thrust a finger at Aizen as he glared at the Head Councilman.

"I beg to differ. I have a letter in my possession that Aizen gave to me this morning. Come look at it if you dare, traitor," Aizen paled as everyone glared at him. Ichigo and Isshin stood up and walked over to the ledge and the Head Councilman leaned down and handed Isshin the piece of paper.

"This is not my son's hand writing," he said and handed the letter to Ichigo who looked at the scrawl and barked a laugh.

"This is so not mine," he said and Ukitake and Yamamoto walked over as well.

"That is true," Ukitake said as he released the breath he'd been holding. "That is not his hand writing. I in fact have here a letter to me the date he left the Tower of the 5th Division."

"Hand it over," the Head Councilman said and Ukitake handed a piece of paper to him and he opened it. The Head Councilman cleared his throat and read aloud.

_Dear Ukitake,_

_ My dear friend, I shall be leaving Central 46 for a few weeks, maybe even a month or two. What you told me about Dragon Warriors marking people has woken something in me. I keep seeing this girl, a short black haired girl with violet eyes, in my dreams. She looks so familiar and so sad. I can feel something tugging at me, but I don't know what it is. I'm going to follow the tug and see where it takes me. Please stay alive Ukitake, don't let the lung sickness take you just yet. Until my return._

_Your friend Ichigo_

"Is this truly his hand writing?" the Head Councilman asked and handed the letter to Yamamoto.

"Yes, this is his hand writing. Did you find this girl?" Yamamoto asked with a small grin and Ichigo chuckled.

"I did indeed Head Captain," Ichigo said and then glared at the Council. "And I challenge you to take her away," he growled and each Council member gulped.

"What do you have to say about this Captain Aizen?" the Head Council member asked as he turned his glare to Aizen.

"I have presented the evidence that I have found. If you chose to let him live then you will all pay for it eventually. Just don't blame me when something happens," he said and Ichigo turned to the Councilman.

"Sir I have evidence that Captain Aizen is the one plotting against the Dragon Warriors," Aizen barked a laugh and smiled warmly.

"I assure you my dear Council that he is just saying this to get back at me for submitting evidence against him and putting him on trial."

"We will still see, or hear, this evidence against you Captain Aizen. It is, after all, only fair," Aizen licked his lips but he looked extremely pale.

"Yes, yes I suppose it is," he said with a small smile that never touched his eyes.

"Good. Now what do you have for us Captain Kurosaki?" Ichigo motioned to Grimmjow who walked to the door.

"A few days ago I was taken prisoner by Lord Byakuya Kuchiki formerly of Seireitei City. While being tortured for information against Central 46 and the High Council I met a man named Lord Kaname Tosen," at this both Gin and Aizen paled until they were almost as white as snow.

"And what did this Lord Kaname say to you?"

"Not what he said to me Councilman, but what he said to Lord Byakuya Kuchiki," Ichigo said and Aizen shook his head.

"And how are we to hear what this Tosen said? You don't have Lord Kuchiki here," Aizen scoffed and they all grinned at him. "Wait."

"Grimmjow! Open the door please," Ichigo called out and Grimmjow opened the door with a grin.

"May I introduce you to Lord Byakuya Kuchiki and his sister, the future mate to Captain Ichigo Kurosaki, Princess Rukia Kuchiki," Grimmjow called out as the two Kuchikis walked through the doors. Byakuya had on a uniform the same as Ichigo's except for the fact that his didn't have any marks of rank and it had Byakuya's sigil on it too, a sword that was in the middle of disintegrating, about halfway down the blade, into a mass of pedals.

Rukia had one a dark blue dress that hugged her torso yet flared out from the hips down. She had green stripes running down the sides and swirls around the bottom of the dress. There was a white under-dress that was showing at the bottom as she took steps, her feet clad in dark brown leather dress sandals.

"No," Aizen whispered to himself as Gin slowly stood up and looked around.

"So you are Lord Byakuya Kuchiki? The Head Councilman asked and Byakuya gave him a small nod.

"I am," Byakuya replied as he stared up at the Council members.

"Tell us then, what you know," the Head Councilman said and Byakuya took a deep breath.

"I went to check on Ichigo because Rukia said that he was in one of the torture chambers. When I got there he was being tortured by two men that I had never seen. The man I had originally chosen to marry my young sister in law, Renji Abarai, was there as well as another man I had never met before; a black man, who introduced himself as Lord Kaname Tosen. He told me how he was working with Captain Sosuke Aizen to destroy the Dragon Warriors. Apparently Lord Tosen hates the Dragon Warriors and is aiming to kill them all. They planned on framing Ichigo so they could make their move unnoticed."

"What do you have to say for yourself Captain Aizen?" Yamamoto asked and Aizen started to slowly back up as Unohana stood up.

"If what you say is true, where is the proof?" she asked and Grimmjow pulled a bolt from inside his uniform and walked over to the Head Councilman and tossed the bolt up. The Head Councilman caught it and looked at it.

"If you look close enough you can see that the bolt is made by Aizen's fletchers; the broad bi-point tip, the four inch shaft, and three feathers from the northern black goose found only in the Dark Mountains where Aizen's Palace, Hueco Mundo, is," Grimmjow said and the Head Councilman looked at it carefully for a moment.

"Yes, it is from Aizen's Fletcher. How did you come across this?"

"A group of soldiers, wearing Aizen's colors, are attacking The Palace of the Moon. One of them fired this at me and hit me in the chest," Grimmjow said; a serious look on his face.

"Can you prove this?" asked the Head Councilman and Grimmjow shook his head sadly.

"My chest wound has already healed, yet Captain Kurosaki, Captain Kenpachi, and Lieutenant Yachiru saw it, as well as my mate Nelliel."

"Bring it to me," Unohana said and the Head Councilman handed the bolt to Grimmjow who took it over to Unohana. She took the bolt and placed it under her nose, taking a deep breath then licking the bolt. "Give me your arm," she said to Grimmjow as she drew a knife. He held his left arm out and she dragged the point along his arm, blood welling out of the wound in thin rivers. She smelled his blood and licked one of the small rivers before she nodded and released his arm.

"Well?" the Head Councilman leaned forward along with everyone else as they waited.

"The bolt has his blood on it. It was in his body not long ago. I'd say less than a day," she said softly and everyone turned their attention to Aizen who was backing up towards the ledge, six men carrying naginatas holding him at bay.

"What do you have to say for yourself Captain Aizen?"

"I admit it!" he screamed. "I admit to it all! I hate this Council, this corrupted government needs to be cleansed," he had a crazed look on his face, his eyes wide as he ripped off his glasses and crushed them beneath his foot. Two of the guards grunted as sword points pushed through the front of their armor. Gin rushed to Aizen's side, handing a sword to him, before they jumped up and landed beside the Head Councilman.

"We'll start with you," Aizen said as he and Gin forced the man to his knees. Everyone moved to slow as they rushed towards the ledge. Aizen and Gin thrust their swords down at an angle, the blades going through his lungs and out the front of his chest. Two fountains of blood erupted from his chest as the blades came out the front and crossed each other. Aizen and Gin withdrew the swords as the other Council members stood up. Gin and Aizen flitted through the crowd, slicing the Council members as they did.

"NOW!" Gin screamed and eight men wearing his colors burst from each door and they killed the Council members trying to escape. They held crossbows on their hips and swords in their hands.

"Run Gin!" Aizen shouted as they charged past Gin's men and down the halls. The other four guards ran up the walls and fell back, each feathered with bolts. Ichigo, Isshin, and Kenpachi fought Gin's men hand to hand.

"Grimmjow! Yachiru! Get everyone out of here, now!" Ichigo screamed as he pulled on the man's arm and snapped it at the elbow before breaking his knee and then twisting his head sharply with a crack. Kenpachi ground two men, one with each hand, and smashed their heads together violently with a loud crack. He dropped the bodies and felt a tug at his uniform. Turning around he saw a man holding a bloody sword.

"Nice try kid. My turn," Kenpachi shoved his hand into the man's chest and pulled out his heart. Isshin kicked a man in the knee with a crack and then grabbed his neck, squeezing until there was a snap. Ichigo grabbed a man by the sword hand as he tried to stab him and he snapped the wrist before rolling over his back snapping his arm in three places and threw him to the ground. He wrapped his legs around the man's neck and twisted sharply.

Kenpachi and Ichigo grabbed a man and threw them over the ledge allowing Toshiro and Grimmjow to quickly dispatch them. Ichigo stood at the ledge and looked down as a guard ran in. Kenpachi stood at his side and grinned, blood running down his side.

"My Lord Captains," the guard bowed to them all and went to one knee. "Captain Gin and Captain Aizen have disappeared. They got away," he said and Ichigo shook his head.

"What do we do now Captain?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo took a deep breath and looked at Komamura.

"Who do you support now Captain Komamura, now that the Council is dead?" Komamura looked up at him and growled for a moment.

"I support you Ichigo Kurosaki. Those two traitors have opened my eyes."

"I support you as well," Unohana said and then looked around. "But we have to move fast. Those two will rejoin their human lord soon and come here."

"She's right, Ichigo," his father said. "We must be ready to move against the army. Since they have two Dragon Warrior Captains with them they will know where all of our palaces are. They will attack each palace to try and whittle down the Divisions before they attack Central 46."

"What are we to do then?" Ichigo asked as he looked around.

"I propose that we raise our armies and fight him in the field. We fight and destroy them," Kenpachi said with a grin.

"But Kenny, our reports say that their army outnumbers us at least 20 to 1," Kenpachi frowned at his Lieutenant.

"And those are good odds for the 11th Division," he said with a frown and Toshiro shook his head.

"But we're down to only 11 Divisions. I will not cause unnecessary risk to my mate," he said and Karin glared at him.

"Unnecessary risk to me? I am a Dragon Warrior damn you! My life is a risk already," she seethed and Toshiro's face dropped from a scowl into worry. Karin softened her voice as she walked over to him and hugged him. "I promise that I'll be as safe as I can okay?"

"Okay," he said as he hugged her tightly and buried his face in her shoulder as she ran her hands through his hair.

"Anyway. What are we to do? Stay in our palaces while we are systematically slaughtered? Some palaces are more easily defended than others," Ichigo said and Yamamoto nodded.

"He's right as is Kenpachi. We must find a way to not only defend ourselves and attack at the same time. If we wait to fight in our palaces we will lose eventually, however if we fight them in the field then we are surely doomed with odds like 20 to 1."

"So what are we to do Head Captain?" Ukitake asked and Yamamoto looked up at Ichigo.

"I will not lead you. I propose that we vote Ichigo Dragon Warrior Emperor and to lead us since they started this war with him."

"I can't do that Head Captain. That is your job not mine," Ichigo replied but Toshiro looked up and turned Karin around so her back was against his chest.

"I agree with Head Captain Yamamoto," Toshiro said and Karin nodded.

"I agree with Yamamoto," Isshin said and Ichigo paled. Ukitake and Shunsui glanced at each other and Shunsui stood up with a sigh, lowering his hat over his face.

"Ukitake and I support Ichigo when he leads us into battle."

"No! I am not taking this job," Ichigo said but everyone ignored him as all the Captains stood up and called out their support for Ichigo. Rukia smiled up at him as Byakuya walked forward.

"I too will support you. I have friends who can help us," Byakuya said and then looked at Rukia.

"Renji and I will be able to get some Dragon Slayers to help out," she said and everyone looked at her.

"Yes. We'll need all the help we can get against the 3rd and 9th Divisions," Ichigo said as he jumped to the floor.

"If we take out Aizen, Gin, and Lord Tosen then the army will die. Remember, cut off the head of the snake and the body withers and dies," Yamamoto said as he sat back down, his Lieutenant moving to stand behind him.

"Also remember, divide and conquer," Isshin said.

"I prefer a good fight," Kenpachi said and Yachiru nodded though she was kinda distracted by Byakuya who was doing his best not to look at her. Yachiru licked her lips and forced her eyes to Ichigo as he looked around at all of them.

"We'll fight soon enough Kenpachi," he said and took a deep breath. "I have a small army at my palace gates. I don't know how long we can hold them off, even if we had more than a division. I have a secret entrance through the mountains so can get supplies in, but I still don't know how long we can last."

"My division doesn't have a palace, so we can come help," Kenpachi said and Yachiru nodded. "They usually stay here anyway, waiting to fight."

"Then get them ready. We go to my palace with-in the day. Everyone else gather your Divisions and wait here. We must find out where Aizen is so we can destroy him. We'll send some assassins out, maybe we'll get lucky," Ichigo said and everyone nodded.

"I will gather my Division and be back soon. We are healers not fighters. We are the Division that keeps everyone alive so we will probably be first," Unohana said and she and her Lieutenant bowed to him. "I am sorry that we doubted you Emperor Captain Kurosaki," she said and Ichigo grimaced.

"Just Ichigo, or Captain Ichigo if you must. I am not the Emperor," he said but Unohana straightened and gave him a smile.

"You are the Emperor because all the presiding Captains voted to support you," she turned and walked away, Isane right behind her.

"I don't want to be Emperor," he scowled and Isshin chuckled.

"Well you are my son, so deal with it."

"Fine! You have your orders. Carry them out," he growled and they all bowed to him before they walked away, except for Kenpachi. "Please don't call me Emperor," Ichigo scowled at him.

"I wasn't going to start," Kenpachi said as he folded his arms.

"Good, don't start," Ichigo said as he walked towards the door, Grimmjow, Rukia, and Byakuya behind him as Kenpachi walked next to him. Ichigo shook his head as they opened the door to the hallway that lead to the pod tunnels.

"So what now?" Rukia asked as they walked down the dim hall.

"We do what Dragon Warriors have always done in the face of annihilation; we fight and die for survival.

* * *

Ulquiorra stood on top the wall and peaked over as the third battering ram of the day rumbled towards the gate. He grabbed a crossbow and fired it; the quarrel hitting one of the horsemen in the shoulder and he fell off the horse.

"Fight them off! Don't let them get to the gate!" he shouted as crossbowmen kept firing their bolts. Men fell, some with multiple bolts in their chests, others with just one of two. "Keep them from the walls!"

Ulquiorra ducked as arrows and bolts flew over the small slit between the wall and ceiling of the cave. He looked down at the Regiment behind the wall and raised his arm. The men let out a loud cheer and then went quiet as he held up both arms for silence. There was a loud bang and the gate shook.

"Men! I stand before you here now, a soldier of the 5th Division; your 2nd Lieutenant. We stand here, in preparation for this battle. I am not an orator; I am a soldier, a warrior for Captain Ichigo Kurosaki. We are doomed gentlemen, we are doomed. We cannot allow them through that gate, through this entrance. If they get in we are dead men. Hoist your weapons men, hoist them high and kill all who come through that gate!" Ulquiorra finished and the men cheered. Ulquiorra ran down the steps and stood with his men as they waited.

There was another bang and the gate shook as the battering ram attacked. Ulquiorra grabbed the naginata that one of the men held out to him after he placed the helmet on his head. He stamped the spear butt into the ground and the men held their naginatas at the ready.

"If that gate opens, charge them! If we fight in a small area their numbers will count for nothing! Keep them outside the gateway!" he said and they approached closer to the gate. The archers kept firing down into the mass of men trying to thin their ranks, but for every man felled, five more took his place. The gate shook and the beam that held it closed cracked in the middle length wise as the battering ram hit it again.

"Brace the gate!" Ulquiorra shouted, but as a group of men rushed forward to brace the gate with more beams and their bodies the battering ram hit again and the beam splintered harshly, the gate slowly swinging open. They watched as the steel covered rams head battering ram that swung on chains backed up men rushed at them. Many were cut down by arrows and bolts yet they kept coming.

"Get them!" Ulquiorra screamed and they charged forward, naginatas pointed at the men that poured through the wide open gate. Ulquiorra slashed at the first man giving him a cut down his face and chest and blood exploded from him. Ulquiorra ducked a swing from a katana and stabbed the man through the chest with the naginata, twisting away as another man slashed at him.

Ulquiorra drew his katana and blocked the next strike, slashing the man across the stomach as the man raised the sword over his head. Ulquiorra stabbed another man through the throat and felt blood pour over his hands as he danced away. The men pushed forward; stabbing, slicing, and bleeding their way to the gate trying to push Aizen's men back.

"Everyone hold position! Flame throwers to the wall!" Ulquiorra screamed as he ran into the wall, which was about 20 feet thick at the base and hollow after about 10 feet so people could fit inside, he took a deep breath. He heard men pouring liquid onto the troops and he heard screams as men were burned by the boiling oil. Ulquiorra faced the wall and opened his mouth into the brick tube that led to the outside bottom of the wall. He let out a long loud roar that was accompanied by a large tongue of flame into the tube.

There was a loud bang and more screams as the walls shook. Ulquiorra kept up the flame as long as he could before he closed his mouth and swallowed the heat. He heard screams from the men outside the walls and cheers from those on the inside. He rushed to the gate and up the stairs to the top of the wall.

"Oh shit," Ulquiorra said quietly as he looked on the scene before him as the cheering stopped. He saw a large army still marching at them, and they were all Dragon Warriors wearing the colors of Gin Ichimaru. "What the hell is going on?"

"Sir what do we do?" one of the men asked as the silent soldiers of the 3rd Division walked towards them. The men on the ground in front of the wall were still burning, as was most of the large cave in front of the wall, yet the Dragon Warriors kept coming.

"We need to quickly find something to close off the gates," he said and the man ran off. "And may the spirits of the Captains of the 5th Division protect us," he said as men brought stones and wood forward to block the gate.

* * *

**Well I hope you enjoyed it. Now starts the long awaited war :) Reviews please y'all.**


	13. The Loss

**Hey everyone, sorry it's taken so long to get this out…yesterday was my graduation, WHOOOO! Am no longer a high school student! I'll be starting my summer break as well as work today…I am a server at IHOP so I'll be busy and tired so please don't hate me if I don't update soon. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it's the one you've all been waiting for :) whoo! The one where Ichigo dies…I mean…hahaha na I'm kidding, he doesn't die…yet.**

**As for Mindcrime, I didn't like the way it was going so I did delete it and I am starting over from scratch…so it'll be out again soon.**

**Well I am graduating next weekend and then work starts, so I'll do my best to get chapters out but we'll see :D**

**Now onto Reviewers**

**To hinataellis– well there is Ichi-ruki time here**

**To Tenshi-No-Megami– lol, no, but Aizen is crazy…I mean who else but a crazy person would betray and kill their own race?**

**To Shirayuki– ah yes, Byakuya and Hisana…I'll figure out when I can put it in the story…isn't it always nice to see Aizen get beat down?**

**To UlquiHimeLuver– I haven't figured out if Orihime will be in here yet…um hehe**

**To insomniac1970– I tried to get my ideas down in the form of how fast moving these guys are in terms of how everything can change in a split second.**

**To BeccaBaby– haha, well true the characters are OOC but remember I'm writing Dragon Wars, not Bleach…I can't write Bleach or else I'll get sued ;) hope you understand that, cause I'm not doing it to rush the plot, that's just how I imagine certain characters would react.**

**To Nazgul of xord– well I agree, though the bad part is I like guns . and I can't put them in here damn it! lol**

**To darkwing890–well thank you, I hope you keep reading**

**To Zangetsu50– umm, well I answered that already lol**

**To MoMmYs-LiTtLe-HeLlRaSeR- thank you, I'll try**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Bleach or its characters**

* * *

Rukia climbed onto Ichigo's back as Byakuya climbed onto Isshin's. Kenpachi changed into a dragon as did Yachiru and they grabbed boxes of men like Ichigo and Isshin. The four of them quickly lifted off as Grimmjow and Shuhei changed and grabbed the steel cables that were attached to large boxes filled with men. Nel climbed onto Grimmjow's back and held on as he lifted into the air. The men of the 5th Division, about one Regiment strong, that had been stationed at Central 46 and the men from the entire 11th Division changed into dragons and they picked up boxes as well, quickly following Ichigo, Isshin, and Kenpachi towards the Palace of the Moon.

Ichigo let out a loud roar which was returned by the dragons and they winged as quickly as they could towards the mountains. Rukia felt herself getting tired as they flew so she leaned against Ichigo's neck and sighed as she felt her eyes close. Byakuya looked over and saw Rukia asleep on Ichigo's back and he leaned close to Isshin's head and tapped him. Byakuya watched as Isshin's ear slot opened and he shook his head.

"We need to talk Isshin," Byakuya said and the dragon tossed his head and snorted. "What are we going to do about Rukia and Ichigo? Are we really going to let them marry?" Isshin nodded his head. "But what about the law?" Isshin snorted and Byakuya coughed as smoke flew past him. "I'm going to kill you for that," Byakuya snarled and Isshin shook as he laughed. "Fine then, we'll talk when we land."

They lifted above the clouds and flew in the sun for awhile. A large ball of flame suddenly shot through the clouds and flew past Ichigo's head, the roaring flame waking Rukia from her slumber. She screamed and clutched onto Ichigo's neck as he dove under another fireball.

Ichigo roared at Isshin and they shot through the clouds and came out to see large wingless dragons firing balls of fire at them. There was a large army below them, and it was heading towards the mountains. Ichigo shot a fireball from each nostril, as did Isshin, and they watched as the four fireballs engulfed the dragons on the ground, blowing some men around them to bits and covering the dragons and other men in large flames. The other dragons from Kenpachi's Division flew high as the Captains strafed the ground with flames.

Men and Dragons ran every which way as pure orange flames from Isshin, orange flames with pink streaks from Kenpachi, and black flames with purple from Ichigo hit the ground and roasted men. A dragon launched into the air but a black fireball from Ichigo hit it in the snout and blew the neck off, the body falling back to the ground crushing men. Rukia and Byakuya held on tight as they climbed again.

Ichigo snorted and Isshin bobbed his head as they flew back up into the clouds leaving the massive army behind. Ichigo climbed as high as he could as Rukia clutched onto his neck. She was shaking harshly and he calmed his heart and breathing and soon she started to calm down. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders as he slowly dipped below the clouds and she looked up to see the valley where they had left from a few days earlier.

"We're here?" she asked and Ichigo nodded softly as they watched the dragons ahead of them land and set the boxes on the ground before they landed and changed human again. Ichigo set his box down and landed, Rukia sliding off his back as the front of the box fell down and men armed with swords, axes, and spears rushed from their ride. Ichigo changed again as Isshin set his box down and landed, Byakuya jumping from his back.

"We're going to get our Division," Isshin said as Shuhei walked up to them, with horses, from where he had dropped his men off. "We'll be back as soon as possible," he said as he climbed onto his horse. "Good luck my son," Ichigo nodded as Rukia and Byakuya supported his tired body.

"We need to go," Ichigo said and they helped him walked towards the wall. They met up with Grimmjow who was supported by Nel; in fact many of the men who had changed were being supported by their comrades. "Stand back," Ichigo said and shook off Rukia and Byakuya as he stood in front of a chunk of mountain. Everyone stared at him like he was crazy and waited. Ichigo let out a roar and a large chunk of mountain broke away and fell to the ground. Byakuya quickly caught him as his eyes rolled back in his head and hes collapsed.

"Form up on me!" Grimmjow shouted and led the men forward through the tunnel. Kenpachi and Yachiru, both supported by soldiers, came up to them and stopped.

"Form up on the Captain!" Yachiru screamed and the men did so.

"Follow me," Kenpachi growled and walked towards the dark hole in the side of the mountain as the last of the 5th Division made it into the mountain. Ichigo felt his chest burning in pain as he felt someone lift him off the ground and walked forward. He stopped fighting and let the dark of sleep take him as they moved.

* * *

Ichigo woke up to the sound of metal smacking against wood. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room, finding himself in his bed in the Palace of the Moon. He slowly sat up, pushing himself back against the headboard, and looked through the thin cloth curtains on the bed and saw the door to the training room open, the sounds emitting from said room.

Ichigo pushed the covers back and saw that he had been stripped of all clothing before he had been tucked into bed. He walked slowly over to the door and peered into the room. He smiled as he leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Rukia beat the poor dummy with a sword. She was wearing her dragon slayer outfit and he loved it. He watched as she fought against the dummy and seemed to be winning. She finally spun and delivered a round house to the head, knocking the dummy over, and slamming the sword blade onto the head.

"Good!" Ichigo said proudly and started clapping. Rukia spun around with a look of surprise and she dropped her sword.

"Ichigo? How long were you there?" she asked and then blushed when she realized that he was naked. She took her time to admire him; he was well built with sculpted abs and chest, well muscled arms and legs, he was well endowed, she could see that even though he wasn't hard yet and with a little bit of hair around his cock.

"A few minutes," he smirked and pushed himself off the doorframe and walked slowly towards her. "Why are you blushing?" he asked and leaned down as he cupped her face in his hands and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Cause you're not wearing any clothes," she said softly right before his lips met hers and she closed her eyes as her mind went blank. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her softly. _His lips are so soft. _

"And? You are my mate, so what's wrong with me being naked in front of you?" he asked as he pulled back.

"Um, because seeing you like this is turning me on," Rukia said breathlessly and stared into his amber eyes with her lust filled violet ones. "Can we do this Ichigo? I want you," she said and leaned up to kiss him again but he pulled back and took her hands in his.

"I want to but I need to explain something to you first okay? Then you can choose if you still want to or not," Ichigo said and Rukia nodded after a moment, confusion clouding her gaze.

"Okay, sure," she said and Ichigo led her to the bed and sat down.

"Let me explain from the beginning. You remember that night when we both told each other that we loved each other? You know back in chapter 6?" she thought back then nodded. "Well the reason I stopped was because I remembered something that my father said to me. He said that when dragon warriors mate they mark the one they mate with, linking them both mind and body. As long as I live, if you consent to this, and I sleep with you, you are linked to me and can no longer sleep with any other man."

"Good, cause I wouldn't sleep with anyone else anyway," she said and gave him a small grin which he returned.

"I love you Rukia Kuchiki, with all my heart," Ichigo said and Rukia kissed him softly.

"And I love you Ichigo Kurosaki with all my heart," Rukia replied and Ichigo wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, licking her lips, wanting entrance. Rukia eagerly opened her mouth to him and he slowly slipped his tongue past her lips and into her mouth. Rukia let out a low moan and Ichigo tightened his arms around her.

* * *

"What are we going to do about those two?" Byakuya asked as he and Isshin sipped some tea.

"What's to do but watch and hope for little grandchildren?" Isshin replied and Byakuya shook his head with a small smile.

"I'm being serious Isshin. They are mated but we both know how this will end," Isshin grimaced and then shook his head.

"No, it'll end well," he said waving his hand dismissively.

"Are we talking about Ichigo and Rukia or the war?" Byakuya asked and Isshin stared into his eyes for a moment.

"You're right. They may have a chance, but only if we can defeat Tosen, and Aizen, and Gin. Unless we do that, everyone will die."

"So what are we to do?" Byakuya asked and Isshin took a deep breath.

"I hate to say this but, do you suppose Rukia can help us?"

* * *

Ichigo fell back on the bed as Rukia pushed him, the back of his knees hitting the edge of the bed. He sat up and watched as Rukia smirked at him from where she stood, reaching up to cup her breasts through her cloth shirt. She let out a low moan and Ichigo felt his cock jump at the sound. He looked down at his lap and watched as he got harder and harder by the second. He looked up to find Rukia staring at him, chewing on her bottom lip as she slipped a hand into her leather pants and started to rub herself.

"Do you like watching me Ichigo?" she asked and Ichigo groaned and nodded. Rukia slowly untied the laces at her throat and pulled the cloth shirt over her head. She dropped it to the floor and Ichigo felt his mouth water as he stared at her breasts. They were small but looked firm, her nipples already dark and hard from the cold air in the room. Rukia ran a cold hair over her breasts and shivered.

"Would you like me to warm you up?" Ichigo asked and started to stand but Rukia shook her head.

"No, I'll have you do that later. Don't you like looking at me when I'm cold?" she asked and slowly slipped a hand into her pants again. Her head dropped back and she moaned as she rubbed her clit softly.

"Yes, I do enjoy watching you," he said and watched as she pleasured herself. He couldn't help himself, he had to relieve some pain, he grabbed his cock and started to stroke himself.

"No," she said and took her hand away when she saw what he was doing.

"What?" he asked, surprised that she had stopped.

"That's my job. Hands off," she said and waited until he had done so. When he had released his dick she nodded and gave him a small smile. "I'll take care of you soon love, just have patience," she said as she slowly untied the laces of her pants and slowly slipped them down her hips. He stared at her in awe; she was thin, but not too thin for someone her size. She had muscle on her arms, legs, and stomach but not too much. Her breasts and ass were proportionate to her body, but that just made it seem better, and she had a small nest of hair above her pussy.

"Come here," Ichigo said and she walked forward slowly, putting one foot in front of the other making her hips sway side to side.

"Yes?" she drawled and he could see how wet she was by the fact that her juices were running down her legs.

"I want to taste you," Ichigo said and Rukia smirked before she dropped to her knees between his legs.

"But I'm first," she said and took his cock in her hand and slowly stroked him. Ichigo groaned and his hips thrust against her hand. Rukia stared at him in surprise and hunger. She reached out with her tongue and licked the tip. Ichigo hissed and thrust against her hand again, his dick hurting now that her mouth was so close.

Rukia slowly licked him from base to tip before she sucked on the head. Ichigo groaned and fell back on the bed, his eyes closed in ecstasy. Rukia moaned as she stroked him and slowly lowered her mouth onto him. Her eyes closed as she relaxed her jaw and placed her hand on the base of his cock. She took in as much as she could and used her hand to stroke what she couldn't fit in her mouth.

"Oh god that feels soo good Rukia," Ichigo groaned as she slowly bobbed her head up and down as she stroked him slowly. She moved a piece of her hair out of her face with her free hand before she set it on his thigh. Ichigo forced himself to stay still as she sucked him, forcing his hips to stay on the bed so he wouldn't fuck her mouth. Rukia moaned in response and moved faster, making Ichigo release a small whimper. Rukia kept this new pace up and she loved that she had a man at her mercy. Ichigo stood up and Rukia let go, his cock slipping from her mouth so she wouldn't choke or get stabbed in the throat.

"What are you doing?" she asked, surprised and a little annoyed.

"I needed to stand up so I could watch you," he said and she nodded.

"Oh, I see," she stayed on her knees and took him into her mouth again. Ichigo hissed and his fingers fisted in her hair which was really soft. Rukia moaned, sending vibrations through Ichigo's cock and he gasped, his hands stopping her head from moving, though her hand kept stroking him. Her free hand slowly slid down her body to her pussy and she spread her knees and rubbed her pussy, slipping a finger into her wet hot core.

"Oh yes," Ichigo growled and Rukia forced her head to move again against Ichigo's hands and he let out a small moan. Ichigo fisted her hair but allowed her to move her head on his dick. "I'm close Rukia," he moaned and she continued to suck him.

"Good," she mumbled and entered another finger and started to finger fuck herself as she thumbed her clit.

"I'm going to cum in your mouth," he groaned and she sucked him harder and stroked him faster as she came close to her own orgasm. She could feel her juices sliding down her legs and she screamed around his cock as she came. Ichigo groaned and fisted her hair as he came in her mouth. Rukia swallowed every drop he gave her and then licked him clean.

"You taste good," she said as he sat on the bed and she straddled his lap. She licked her lips clean as Ichigo wrapped his arms around her waist and she brushed against his still hard cock that sat between their bodies.

"I love you Rukia," he said and kissed her lips lightly.

"Good, now can you help me with something?" she asked with a sexy voice and he stared into her violet eyes.

"Sure, what is it?" he asked and she grinned as she used her legs to lift up slowly before settling back down, his cock brushing against her stomach.

"I want you to make me yours," she said and he cupped her ass and lifted her up as he turned around so he was on top. Ichigo laid her on the bed slowly and she spread her legs so he could lay between them.

"Are you sure you want this? It'll hurt," he said and she nodded.

"Of course I want it, because it's you and I know you'll take care of me," Rukia said and kissed him lightly. Ichigo nodded and took his cock in his hand and lined himself up. He stared into Rukia's eyes and she nodded once before he slowly pushed into her. Rukia let out a small squeak and tears sprang into her eyes as she tried to get used to his size. He pushed in farther, as slow as he could until he reached her virgin barrier.

"Rukia," Ichigo whispered softly in her ear as she bit down on his shoulder hard enough to draw blood. "Relax," he said calmly and she slowly relaxed as the pain slowly slipped away, but the moment Ichigo pushed past the barrier Rukia screamed.

"It hurts Ichigo," she sobbed. "It hurts," she clung to him, her fingernails digging into his shoulders and her thighs gripping his waist tightly.

"Shh, it's okay Rukia. I'm here," he slowly pulled out and her legs tried to close against the pain but his body was in the way.

"Make the pain stop," she whimpered and he kissed along her neck and shoulder. Rukia's nails dug into his back as her teeth dug into his shoulder as he slowly pushed in again. Ichigo slowly thrust in and out as Rukia cried against his shoulder. After a while Rukia started feeling less pain, the pleasure finally overwhelming the pain.

"Rukia, please look at me," he begged as he stopped thrusting and she stared into his eyes, a few tears running down her face. "I'm sorry," he said and kissed the tears off her cheeks. She shook her head and took a deep breath.

"I'm fine now," she said and he looked down at her, concern on his face.

"Are you sure?" he asked and she nodded and moved her hips against his. Both of them moaned and Rukia didn't hesitate to do it again. Ichigo placed his hands on her hips to hold her down and she pouted.

"Ichigo," she whined and he stared into her eyes. "Do it Ichigo," she said and smirked as a dark look came into his eyes.

"Do what?" he asked and her smirk widened.

"Make love to me," she said and he started to slowly thrust into her. Rukia wrapped her legs around Ichigo's waist and moaned at the new sense of pleasure that washed over her body. Ichigo started to thrust faster as he reached down and rubbed her clit in soft circles. Rukia's breath caught in her throat as she gasped for breath, but nothing came.

"Oh god you feel so good my love," Ichigo groaned and leaned back away from her so he could reach down and play with her breasts. They were small but they fit his hands well as he squeezed them. Ichigo slid his hands down her body to her clit and rubbed fast as he thrust into her. Rukia screamed as pleasure overwhelmed her and she came. Ichigo stopped thrusting as he walls clenched around him, trying to make him cum. He took a deep breath and rolled them over so she was on top.

"Yes! Oh God Ichigo," she moaned and sat on his lap for a moment before he thrust his hips up against hers. Rukia used her leg muscles to lift herself up and then drop down. Rukia reached up to massage her breasts as she rode Ichigo, rolling her nipples between her fingers. Ichigo groaned as she rode him, his hands going to her hips.

Rukia moaned his name as she reached down with one hand and rubbed her clit in circles. Ichigo slowly ran his hands up her sides and cupped her breasts softly for a moment before he squeezed them hard. She moaned and he rolled her nipples in his fingers. Rukia was gasping for breath as he ran his hands to her shoulders and pulled her down against him, his arms wrapping around her back.

"Please Ichigo," she begged as she moved her hips up and down since her upper body was trapped against his. He kissed and licked across her neck, right over the spot where her neck and shoulder met and she moaned. Rukia moaned and her body shook as she got closer to her orgasm. She stopped moving so she could make it last longer but Ichigo wouldn't have that. He thrust up against her again and she moaned and then whined.

"Come on Rukia, you're almost there again," he whispered in her ear then kissed her neck again. "Cum for me," he growled and bit her neck. Rukia screamed as she came again, flooding around him. Her walls squeezed down on him and he moaned her name as he shot his cum into her.

"Yes, oh yes Ichigo," she moaned and went limp in his arms as he kissed her sweaty brow. Ichigo chuckled as she kissed his lips softly.

"That was amazing," he said and then she grimaced.

"Ow, my arm!" she screamed and he held her tight to his chest as she struggled. "What did you do?" she screamed and tried to grab her arm but Ichigo grabbed her left arm just below her elbow and held it away from her body as he used his other arm to keep her on her body.

"Rukia! Please calm down, it's okay," Ichigo said and Rukia moaned in pain. "See," she gasped for breath and she looked down at her arm. There was a tattoo on her arm just like Ichigo's at the exact same place except smaller.

"Wow," her eyes widened as she looked at the tattoo.

"That is to show that you're all mine," Ichigo said and grinned as Rukia smiled at him and kissed his lips lightly.

"Shall we go to bed?" Rukia asked and Ichigo smiled softly and pulled the sheets over their bodies, Rukia quickly falling asleep on his chest.

* * *

"Fight!" Ulquiorra shouted as he yanked his sword free of the stomach of a Major and the man fell over.

"Don't let them win the courtyard!" a Corporal shouted and then screamed as a spear went through his back and out his chest. Ulquiorra ducked under a sword and slashed the man across the stomach, the sword cutting deep enough to cut his organs. As Ulquiorra stepped away from the falling man he managed to block a yari coming at his neck. He slashed sideways and cleaved the shaft in two before he went to one knee and stabbed the man in the chest, just enough to pierce his heart

"Ulquiorra!" he heard someone shout and he turned his head to see Grimmjow leading an army rushing through the gates. "Do not let them in the palace! Charge!" Grimmjow drew his sword and rushed at the gate. Ulquiorra stood up and wiped his sweat soaked hair from his face. He blocked a katana strike and slashed a man across the face sending an arc of blood through the air.

"Grimmjow!" he staggered through the lines and met with Grimmjow who stood there with a hand on his shoulder as Ulquiorra leaned over as he tried to catch his breath.

"You're hurt," Grimmjow said and Ulquiorra looked down at the blood spreading across his stomach then shrugged.

"It's nothing sir, just a scratch. Thank god for making it, I don't know how much longer we could have lasted with reinforcements," Ulquiorra said and stood up, stretching his arms.

"Right, what's the status?"

"We've been knocked from one Regiment to about three Battalions. I'm not sure how many we've killed but there are still two full Divisions of Dragon Warriors out there plus a large human army and they don't show any sign of stopping," Ulquiorra said and Grimmjow watched as the new fresh soldiers of the 5th Division took the place of the old tired ones.

"We'll do what we can. We have the 11th Division with us and the 6th Division is on it's way," Grimmjow said and Ulquiorra nodded and gave him a small grin.

"Well that's good news. The full Division or just a few Battalions?"

"The whole Division. We're defending the palace here while everyone evacuates, then we're flying to Central 46 to defend the city," Grimmjow said and Ulquiorra nodded.

"Why are we under attack by Captains Aizen and Gin sir?" a Colonel asked and Grimmjow shook his head.

"They are declaring war on Central 46. They tried to make the Council believe that our Captain was a traitor when they were the traitors the whole time. They have declared war on all Dragon Warriors and have joined forces with a human lord named Tosen. Take a rest men, you've earned it," Grimmjow said and walked towards the front lines as the fresh soldiers easily held off the front lines of the enemy army. He walked into the wall and watched as the men stabbed their yari at the men trying to scale the walls.

Grimmjow took a deep breath and shot a large stream of fire into the tubes and was satisfied to hear screams from outside the walls. He drew his sword and walked up the stairs to the top of the wall and watched as the men who fell were replaced.

"We can't hold them back," he said to himself and watched as a Dragon Warrior 2nd Lieutenant rode forward on a horse.

"I call for Captain Ichigo Kurosaki to come forward and surrender to us or we will destroy the palace and its people!" Grimmjow took the crossbow from the man on his right and took careful aim. He whistled and the man looked at him.

"My name is Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, Lieutenant to Captain Ichigo. Here is our answer!" he shouted and fired the bolt. The bolt whistled through the air and struck the 2nd Lieutenant in the chest. He stiffened and fell from his horse, landing on the floor of the cave, and the men rushed forward.

"Grimmjow!" he ducked an arrow that flew over his head and then turned, seeing Kenpachi standing there.

"Captain Kenpachi," he walked down the stairs quickly, his sword bouncing off his thigh.

"Where do you want us?" he asked and Grimmjow looked at the gate.

"You're the Captain here, sir," Grimmjow answered and bowed his head.

"Yes, but it's your home so you can tell me where to go," Kenpachi said and gave him a small grin.

"Well, we need you as our rear guard. We'll be retreating slowly and we need you as backup."

"Right. Men! Move behind the gates and prepare to defend the retreat," Kenpachi yelled and the men followed him towards the palace. Grimmjow stood and watched as the men fought against the invaders, slowly losing. Aizen's men seemed to never end, while there was a limited number of soldiers that Ichigo could put out.

"Retreat!" there was a bang and large ball of fire exploded from the ground sending men and chunks of men flying. Another fireball landed sending men flying and covering others in the clinging flame of the dragon.

"Stand and fight!" Grimmjow shouted and stepped forward. He let out a roar and a large wall of flame towards that gate. He added more roar and shockwaves joined in and rolled across the ground throwing rocks and dirt, leaving large ditches in the ground. Men were thrown through the air and were torn apart as the shockwaves hit them. Ulquiorra joined in, though his was weaker, and they launched the soldiers away from the gate and walls. The men of the 5th Division quickly retreated as Grimmjow stopped his attack and shook his head.

"Ugh I'm hurt," Ulquiorra said and Grimmjow felt his knees go weak as he tried to support himself and Ulquiorra.

"Kenny! Let's get them and go," Yachiru and Kenpachi grabbed Grimmjow and Ulquiorra respectively and they ran towards the gate to the Palace as three Companies of men were trapped in the Barracks.

"Lock the gates," Grimmjow whispered and passed out as Ulquiorra held on a few moments longer before he too let the black envelop his mind.

"What now?" Yachiru asked and Kenpachi shrugged and sighed.

"I don't know," he said and let two of his soldiers take Grimmjow as two more took Ulquiorra. Kenpachi turned to the gate as it was closed; they saw the large army coming towards them. "Defend the Palace of the Moon!" he drew a sword and then felt and hand on his shoulder.

"Sword up my friend," Ichigo said as he walked forward and stopped by the gate. As soon as the gate was closed he touched it and the gate became solid rock. "Let's go. We have to defend Central 46," Ichigo said sadly and they all marched back towards the tunnel they had entered from.

* * *

**Hope you all liked it, sorry again about the wait. Reviews :)**


	14. Battle Plan & Retreat

**Hi ****everyone! ****Sorry ****its ****taken ****so ****long ****to ****update ****this ****story. ****Ive ****been ****busy ****with ****work ****and ****then ****school. ****So ****let ****me ****bring ****you ****up ****to ****speed. ****I ****started ****working ****at ****IHOP ****as ****a ****server ****back ****in ****May ****and ****I ****earned ****a ****lot ****of ****money, ****then ****I ****started ****school ****in ****August. ****So ****now ****am ****a ****freshman ****in ****college ****at ****Ole****Miss. ****I ****had ****thanksgiving ****break ****last ****week ****so ****I ****got ****some ****writing ****done ****and ****now ****I****'****m ****working ****on ****the ****next ****chapter, ****bad ****news, ****school ****lasts ****two ****weeks ****before ****I****'****m ****out ****for ****Christmas ****break****…****why ****is ****this ****bad ****news?****Cause ****my ****finals ****are ****in ****two ****weeks ****which ****means ****no ****more ****writing ****until ****Christmas****break. ****I****'****ve ****also ****been ****working ****on ****my ****book ****so ****that****'****s ****another ****thing ****that****'****s ****been ****getting ****in ****my ****way ****of ****FF, ****but ****the ****book ****is ****going ****good ****too ****:)**

**Now, as for some memories…I know some of y'all read OSTS, and y'all remember that I broke my knee last year…It still surprises me when I think of it that a year ago I was on crutches and in pain. Well, it's been a great year after that and am hoping for another great year. **

**I hope the long wait hasn't driven y'all away, if it has am sorry, if not thank you for staying with me :) and I left a surprise for all y'all ;) double lemon, yes double lemon…we have a Grim/Nel lemon and a Ichi/Ruki lemon. They are short but meant to be a break from the story.**

**So without any further adieu here are the reviewers.**

**To hinataellis– yes ichiruki lemon, you are welcome**

**To MoMmYs-LiTtLe-HeLlRaSeR– well am sorry you had to wait so long, but here it is, hope you enjoy it**

**To Tenshi-no-Megami– it was a joke, but everyone has a chance to die :)) so we just have to wait and see :P**

**To Jidt– well it did grind me down, I hated the managers, they had no idea what they were doing…they had the servers doing the busboy's jobs**

**To darkwing890– I shall try to write more, this is a long story**

**To Shirayuki– lol, well there is always practice, and a long story means lots of lemons :D I hope you enjoy the chapter, and he was sad cause he has to leave his home to the bad guys.**

**To insomniac1970– sorry it took so long to finish the chapter, I've been busy, hope that you like this one though. The ending was basically the fact that they had to leave.**

**To mikeceki– …did i? hmm, okay I'll go check and then redo it, thanks for the notice :)**

**To AnimeFreak134– hope you like where it goes now ;)**

**To EverRose808– yes mindcrime is on hiatus, am rewriting it and trying to make it flow better, so no chapters yet. :(**

**To J. Walker– yeah I know it was unnecessary, but that's what I do :P its comic relief. As for beta I usually beta my own, yeah I miss stuff but I go back and correct that too after I finish the story…that's for spelling, as for grammer, I write the way I talk…southern and my way :)**

**To Calang– thank you :D sorry for the long wait**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!**

**AN: the chapter skips ahead by a bit, not far though, just misses the battle in the tunnel. Hope you all enjoy it, and I hope my long time away hasn't shattered my writing skills.**

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia had mad sex!

**Am just kidding here's the chapter :D**

* * *

Ichigo stood at the entrance to the escape tunnel, his sword drawn as he faced down the thousands of men that stood just a few hundred feet away. He stood and waited; a line of Moon Guards with ten foot long spears and tower shields that rose over their heads standing behind him. The tunnel was wide enough for five men to stand abreast, shoulder to shoulder. The spears had a foot and a half of steel on the end that slightly resembled a teardrop, wide at the bottom by the shaft and slowly curved into a circle before ending in a sharp point. They wore full plate armor that was painted white and burgonet helmets.

"Close ranks!" Ichigo shouted and the front row of guards stepped forward and parted to allow the second row to step between them and make a wall, the third and fourth rows doing the same thing, and each two rows after that until 20 rows had turned into 10 tightly packed rows. Ichigo now stood behind the rows and waited as the enemy started to charge forward.

"Hold this line men, you are the last defense of the retreat. Hold them off as long as you can then fall back," Ichigo said to the Sergeant of the Guard who nodded.

"We will defend you sir, to the last man," Ichigo shook his head.

"No, I will have need of you and your men, you must retreat as soon as we are clear," the man's eyes hardened as the charging enemy drew closer with each breath.

"I have trained my life for this moment, I will not cause you dishonor by running from my duty, none of the men will," each man nodded and then got into their stance; right foot back to brace, left forward and slightly bent, spears held straight out.

"Good luck Sergeant," Ichigo bowed to him and the Sergeant bowed back before he turned back to the enemy just as the first line slammed into the spear wall. The front of the enemy line buckled and collapsed to the stone floor of the tunnel. Ichigo took one last look back before he stepped from the hole and into the sunlight.

"Ichigo!" he looked up and saw Rukia standing there, the wind blowing her hair around her face. She stood with Nel and Grimmjow, all three of them staring at him intently as he turned back to the entrance.

"Good luck in the next life men, be brave and take as many with you as you can!" he shouted before he closed the hole, sealing the guards and the enemy in. Ichigo turned back to Rukia and nodded with a sad smile. He noticed that the last of the dragons where taking off and leaving the valley.

"Where to now?" Grimmjow asked as Ichigo looked up at the sky.

"We go to my father's mansion. It is the closest between here and Toshiro's mansion. The plan after that is to go to Central 46 and see what we're going to do about the traitors."

Everyone nodded and Grimmjow and Ichigo changed before the girls climbed onto their backs. The two dragons spread their wings and launched themselves high into the air, the wind rushing past, the girls' hair whipping back as they held on to their dragons' necks. Ichigo straightened first, Grimmjow right after, about ten feet higher and fifty back, watching his Captain's back.

The mountains slowly rose higher than the dragons could reach, the girls on their backs needing air. It was getting colder and colder and the girls started to shiver slightly as the cold slowly penetrated all the way to their bones. The two dragons slowly dipped below the clouds and landed on the plains outside the mountains where the 6th Division was gathered. As the two dragons landed Isshin ran up to them, a girl with light colored hair and a tan dress followed closely behind.

"Yuzu!" Ichigo shouted and picked up his little sister in a hug.

"Ichi!" she hugged him then laughed when he set her down. "You haven't come to visit," she admonished playfully.

"I'm sorry Yuzu, I've been busy," he said and she looked over at Rukia and grinned.

"Ah, your mate," she said softly, a warm smile on her face.

"Yes," Ichigo smiled as he looked over at Rukia, a small smile on his face. Yuzu broke away and walked over to Rukia.

"Hi, I'm Yuzu, Ichigo's younger sister," she said and held out her hands to Rukia who smiled and took her hands, squeezing them softly.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Rukia said Yuzu smiled.

"Same here, I've heard so much about you. Father and Ichi used to talk about you all the time," she said and took her hands, leading her away as Ichigo and Isshin just stared.

"Seems like they get along real well," Isshin said and Ichigo nodded with a small smile as they walked away. Isshin smirked as he watched his son watch Rukia's ass and he slapped him on the back. "Am proud of you boy! You finally got your girl and you can't stop staring at her ass," Ichigo glared at his father.

"What the hell old man! What's the point of hitting me and then screaming shit like that? Stop it, it's none of your damn business!" Isshin looked at his son and then sighed.

"Come on Ichigo, we need to discuss some of our plans," Ichigo went calm and then nodded.

"Yeah. What are we going to do about Tosen and the traitors?" Ichigo asked and Isshin shrugged.

"That's what we are going to be discussing. Most of the Captains are here, the rest are on the way here," Isshin said as they walked through the marble halls, the rare pink marble was a light color, the sun making the walls seem just a little brighter in their gloomy hour. They walked in silence to the war room.

"It's been a while since I've been here," Ichigo said and Isshin chuckled.

"I love how they decided to make the forward base for all wars my palace because it is the closest to the biggest human cities. I don't want war with humans, and they put the war room here for wars with humans," Isshin growled and then sighed, looking around the large room. There was a large table in the center of the circular room, thirteen chairs sat around the table, the Lieutenants not allowed in the room. Already four Captains were there besides them; Kenpachi, Yoruichi, Urahara, and Toshiro.

"Welcome to the War Room Captains," Toshiro said and Ichigo took a seat next to Kenpachi.

"Who are we still waiting on to get to the palace?" Isshin asked and Toshiro shrugged.

"Head-Captain Yamamoto and Komamura are in the palace, Ukitake is on his way to get them, and Shunsui and Unohana are on the way to the palace, not sure when they will-"

"We're here," Shunsui said as he and Unohana walked in, both in uniform just like all the others except for Ichigo.

"As are we," Yamamoto said as he walked in, the others stood and saluted him as he walked to the head chair. The old Dragon Warrior sat down and then the others followed suit. Yamamoto sighed and then touched the Table of the World; a table which, when touched with any kind of magic, showed the world. The table suddenly came alive with a large model of the land, every city and town and Dragon Warrior Palace showed as well as people. They stared at it all for a moment and then shook their heads. Isshin stood up and touched the large black spot on the map that was outside Ichigo's mountain palace.

"Here is the army, well most of it, that has taken my son's palace. We have managed to rescue the pictures, gold, most of the weapons, some furniture, and all the civilians. The palace is lost to us, the back way in has been sealed from the outside and only my son or I can open it. We also have a problem with the other citizens like us," Isshin said and showed small groups of people heading their way.

"Refugees," Toshiro growled and shook his head. "We cannot take care of refugees. In a matter of months, weeks the way dragon warriors eat, we'll be out of food. Our villages are getting pillaged and our fortresses are under attack."

"Captain Hitsugaya speaks wisely," Komamura said and Ichigo and Isshin nodded.

"But we must help them," Unohana said and Ukitake and Shunsui agreed.

"Kenpachi, we haven't heard from you," Yamamoto said and Kenpachi grimaced.

"I'm a fighter old man, nothing more. I couldn't tell you the first thing about running a city. That's what I have Yachiru for," he said and Ichigo sighed.

"Ken, we have a problem, and yes you are a fighter but think about it. You and your men love to eat and drink. That will be gone in a matter of months maybe even weeks. If we allow the refugees to settle in our cities that will be a matter of days," Ichigo said and Kenpachi slowly nodded.

"I can see how that would be a problem, Ichigo. But Dragon Warriors can hunt for their food, we can even eat people. We could save the food for the civilians and hunt for ours," Kenpachi said and this time all the Dragon Warriors nodded. "But still, soldiers come before civilians. We do defend their sorry asses and we need to be well fed so we can fight."

"Captain Zaraki makes a good point," Yamamoto said and the other Captains bowed their heads. "We allow the refugees to stay, but all non fighters will receive low rations."

"That is unfair to the ones who can't or won't fight," Unohana said and Yamamoto banged his staff against the ground.

"That is final! We cannot have our soldiers weak and hungry during a battle," Yamamoto said and Unohana bowed her head.

"Now onto battle strategy," Ichigo said and Kenpachi grinned. "What does everyone propose?"

"We need to find the best fortress and defend it," Kisuke said and Yoruichi nodded.

"No, we already tried that with my Palace," Ichigo pointed out and Kenpachi growled.

"And it was a failure," he said and Isshin nodded.

"Why don't we go fight in the fields, where our Dragon Warriors can actually fight in their Dragon Forms?" Isshin said and Komomura shook his head.

"No, their army is too big, it grows more every day," he pointed to the table. "Men are flocking to the enemy as we speak."

"Why don't we combine the two?" Toshiro said and pointed to a small mountain pass. "This pass leads to my Ice Palace, the pass is big, but it thins out about a quarter of a smile from the entrance to the Palace. Three men abreast could pass through that little area, and that's shoulder to shoulder with no room to swing a sword. The pass is about five miles deep, with cliffs above the pass. We could lead them into the pass and defend the entrance, their numbers will count for nothing and our Dragons and archers would sit on the cliffs and pound the back lines of the enemy."

"That could work, but there are too many people to fly there. We'll have to march, and that means that we may have a few small battles," Isshin said and everyone looked at Yamamoto who sighed.

"We march for Captain Hitsugaya's Ice Palace," he said and everyone nodded. "Gather what you can, we leave in two days."

"Sir?" Toshiro asked as he stood. Yamamoto looked at him.

"Yes Captain Hitsugaya?"

"Are we leaving Central 46 to be taken?"

"No Captain, we will draw all the enemy we can after us to give Central time to build its defenses, then we will pull back and defend there."

* * *

Toshiro sat on the edge of the bed, Karin kneeling behind him. He stared at his hands in his lap as his mate ran her hands through his soft white hair, calming him. The Ice Dragon sighed in content and closed his eyes.

"Does it feel good love?" Karin asked and Toshiro nodded. "Good."

"It's been a long day," he said and Karin nodded, pulling Toshiro back onto the bed. He laid his head on her lap as she leaned against the headboard. Karin kept playing with his hair and Toshiro remained quiet, leading her to believe that he was asleep.

"I love you Tosh," she said, calling him her pet name and he smiled.

"I love you too, Karin," he said and then opened his eyes and reached up to cup her face.

"What are you thinking?" she asked as she stared into his eyes.

"How beautiful you are," he said and she laughed softly.

"You're such a womanizer," she said and then smirked. "But I still love you."

"Good," he said and paused for a moment. "When are we going to tell everyone?"

"About the baby?" Toshiro nodded softly and she sighed.

"What's wrong my love?" he asked and sat up, scooting back next to her and taking her in his arms.

"I'm worried. What if mom and dad aren't happy? What if I'm not a good mother? What if the child doesn't like me? What if-" she was cut off as Toshiro's lips met hers.

"If they aren't happy now they will be soon. You won't be a good mom; you'll be an amazing one. The child won't like you, they will love you. Anymore put downs?" she shook her head, a small smile on her face as she snuggled into his chest.

"I'm so lucky to have you as my mate," Karin said and Toshiro chuckled. "What's so funny?" she glared at him playfully.

"That I came so close to not getting you," he said and she grinned.

"Yeah, dad wasn't happy. I just think it's pretty funny because he married someone who wasn't a Dragon Warrior or a princess."

"And I was a commoner Dragon Warrior," Toshiro said and then shook his head. "Sometimes I think it's just that fathers don't think any man is good enough for their daughters."

"True, now how do you think you will be when your daughter is old enough to marry?" Karin asked and Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"What kids? You cut me off because I wanted to side with Council instead of the family," Toshiro scoffed and Karin turned red.

"Well excuse me, but dad wasn't happy that his son-in-law went against the family," Karin growled and they glared at each other before Toshiro sighed and closed his eyes.

"I'm really sorry Karin. I was doing what I thought was right," he said and kissed her forehead. Karin sighed and nodded.

"I know Tosh," she said and then kissed his lips softly. "I can't wait to have this baby," she said and Toshiro smiled.

"I know, the first family I've ever had," he said and stared into her eyes. "You and our child," they grinned at each other and laughed.

* * *

Grimmjow stood on the balcony, the warm breeze blowing past his face making his hair flutter lightly as it caressed his naked form. He blinked and set his hands on the railing, leaning on them as he stared up at the moon. He heard a sigh from behind him and then a pair of arms wrapped around his waist and a face press against his back. He smiled softly to himself as Nel hugged him tightly.

"What's wrong Grimmy-bear?" Nel asked and Grimmjow sighed as the smile slipped off his face.

"Nothing Nel," he said and Nel nodded against his back.

"Sure and I'm suddenly going to replace Ichigo as Captain," she said and Grimmjow bowed his head. "Baby look at me," she said and he turned around in her arms and stared into her eyes.

"I love you Nel," Grimmjow said softly and Nel smiled.

"I love you too Grimmjow, but you need to tell me what's wrong," she said and Grimmjow shook his head.

"Just another bad dream," he said and Nel rolled her eyes.

"Babe, you're bad dreams are nightmares," she said and he sighed and kissed her lips softly.

"Granted," he said and she cupped his cheeks softly.

"Tell me," she said softly and he rested his forehead against hers.

"I lost you. We were fighting and you got killed," he said and she chuckled. "What's so funny?" he growled and she smiled at him, her eyes twinkling.

"Since when have I ever been close to getting killed in battle when you're close by?" she asked and he grinned.

"Granted again," he said and then kissed her, his arms snaking around her waist. She moaned at his soft lips against hers and opened her mouth to him when he licked her lips, asking for entrance. Grimmjow slipped his tongue into her mouth and moaned at her sweet taste. Nel moaned with him and her hands moved down his arms to hold onto his forearms as he placed his hands on her hips.

"Grimmjow?" Nel asked breathlessly through the kiss and he moaned in response. "Take me?" she asked and he scooped her up and carried her to the bed and set her gently on the bed.

"If that's what you want my heart," he said and she nodded as he crawled over her body. He leaned down and placed soft kisses on her neck as he pulled her silk robe to the side and kissed her collarbone. Nel moaned and tangled her fingers in his soft blue hair and pulled softly as he kissed closer and closer to her breast. She could feel herself getting wet as he kissed down her body. He moved the robe farther to the side and let her breasts out into the night air.

"You're so beautiful Nel," he said softly and kissed the swell of each breast before he kissed down to her nipple and licked around her right nipple before he sucked it into his mouth. Nel gasped and arched her back, pushing her breast against his mouth. He looked up and saw her face turn red as she blushed.

"Grimmjow," she moaned as pleasure shot through her body. He reached up and cupped her left breast, massaging it softly as he sucked on her nipple. Nel moaned and Grimmjow bit down lightly and Nel let out a small scream and felt herself get even wetter. She felt the massive need for release and she rubbed her legs together, feeling her juices coating the inside of her thighs. He kissed up her neck and bit her earlobe softly.

"Are you wet for me baby girl?" Grimmjow growled in her ear and she moaned in response. Grimmjow grinned and moved down to suck on her left nipple, giving it the same attention as her right. Grimmjow moved his other hand down her body and parted the robe below the ties and touched her clit lightly.

"Grimmjow!" she screamed as pleasure rushed through her body and she felt more juices running from her pussy. She moaned in relief as he sucked on her nipple and rubbed her clit. "Baby, soooo good," she moaned and he grinned against her breast and kissed down her body, dipping his tongue into her belly button before kissing down to the shaved area above her pussy. He looked up into her eyes as he licked her clit slowly and she shuddered, lust filling her eyes.

"You're gorgeous baby," he said and watched as her face and neck turned a dark red as she blushed.

"You make me feel gorgeous Grimmy-bear," she said and then moaned again as he flicked her clit with his tongue. Nel tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled as he started to lick at her, all the while either fingering her clit or rubbing her pussy. She gasped for breath and moaned loudly as she felt herself getting close to her orgasm. She opened her mouth to try and tell Grimmjow that she was going to cum but she couldn't form the words as pleasure made her eyes cross and nothing but a breathless scream come from her lips.

Nel screamed bucked against his mouth as she pulled his hair as she came on his lips. Grimmjow moaned and licked up all her juices like a hungry dog. He made sure to get every last drop, even the juices on her thighs. Nel relaxed on the bed as Grimmjow slowly crawled up her body and kissed the swell of each breast before kissing her lips softly.

"How was that my love?" he asked as he hovered over her and stared into her eyes.

"It was great," she said and licked her lips as she stared at his lips, glistening with her cum. "Can you please fuck me now?" she asked and Grimmjow grinned softly.

"Yes I will, but what have I told you?"

"No matter how fast or rough it is, it's making love," Nel smiled and Grimmjow leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

"Exactly," he smiled against her lips and kissed her sweetly, his lips moving against hers as he pressed the head of his cock against her pussy. "Hold still love," he whispered against her lips and then wrapped his arms around her as he pushed in slowly. Nel gasped in pleasure and Grimmjow slipped his tongue into her mouth making her moan. She closed her eyes and moaned loudly as she felt him fill her and stretch her slowly.

"Baby," she moaned and opened her eyes to stare into his. "You're big Grimmjow," she said and he smiled softly.

"You're too sweet to me," he replied and thrust against her slowly. He pulled out and then pushed back in, quickly settling into a rhythm. Nel reached up and grabbed onto his shoulders, feeling the muscle beneath her fingers as he held himself up. She leaned up to kiss him and moaned as he pulled out, letting out a scream as he pushed back in, his cock riding over her clit. She arched her back and he quickly undid the knot from her robe and pushed it off her shoulders.

"Grimmjow!" she screamed his name as she bucked against his hips. She had been denied this pleasure for so long that she was already close to cumming again for him. Grimmjow could tell she was close by the way her body reacted to him and he reached down to rub her clit in rough circles as he bit her neck.

"Cum for me Nel," he whispered seductively and she gasped and arched her back, her chest and stomach pressing against him as she dragged her nails down his arms. Nel screamed as she came, flooding around him and squeezing him. Grimmjow moaned and barely kept from cumming with her, wanting to keep her pleasure going. He rolled over and pulled her close and thrust against her again. Nel gasped and then started moving her hips as she rode him.

"Grimmjow, mmm baby, you feel soooo good. Ah! You're so deep in me," she moaned and sat up, grinding against him as he reached up to cup her tits, massaging softly and moaning with her. He felt his own release getting close and he groaned loudly as he felt his balls tighten. Nel looked down and grinned as she saw Grimmjow struggling to hold back his impending pleasure.

"Baby, am close," he growled and she grinned as she looked down at him.

"Good," she said and ran one hand through her hair as she rubbed her clit fast and hard as she bounced up and down on his cock. "Cum with me Grimmjow," she moaned and he pulled on her nipples, making her cry out as she came on him.

"Grimmjow!" she screamed his name and he moaned her name loudly as he came deep inside her. Nel moaned and lay down on his chest, resting her head over his heart, listening to its steady beat as she fell asleep slowly.

"That was good Nel," he said and she smiled and kissed his chest.

"Good, am glad you enjoyed yourself," she said and lifted her hips, allowing him to slip from her warmth. Both of them moaned at the loss of contact and then Grimmjow smiled when he felt the mix of juices slowly running from her pussy.

"I came a lot," he said and she grinned.

"Good, I want your cum inside me," she smiled and then kissed his lips. "Hey baby?"

"Yes my heart?" he asked and she blushed and kissed his chest as he pulled the silk sheet over them.

"What do you think about kids?"

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia lay in bed holding each other as they tried to sleep. Rukia cuddled closer to Ichigo trying to find warmth as she shivered even in her nightgown. Ichigo ran his hands up and down her back, trying to warm her up as the heat in his stomach made her snuggle even closer. Rukia looked up at Ichigo and he stroked her hair softly.

"Ichigo, when will we get to go back to the Palace?" she asked and Ichigo sighed.

"I don't know. I hope we can beat Tosen quickly and end this meaningless war," he said and Rukia nodded.

"I hope so too, now that I finally found what I want I just want peace."

"So you don't hate dragons anymore?" he asked and she shook her head.

"How could I hate you? You've all been so kind to me, even knowing what I was and what I've done to your kind," she said and smiled. "I am grateful to you Ichigo."

"There is nothing to be grateful for," he said and she grinned.

"But I want to show you how much I appreciate it," she said and rolled over onto his chest and kissed him deeply. Ichigo wrapped his arms around her back and held her close as she reached down his and grabbed his cock, stroking it slowly as he moaned. Ichigo pulled the nightgown over her head as she continued to stroke him from base to head. He started to massage her breasts as she leaned back and let his cock rest against her stomach.

"I want to be in you," Ichigo growled and Rukia grinned.

"Okay then," she said and rose up on her knees. "I'm going to fuck you good," she said and lowered herself onto his dick. Both of them moaned and Rukia started riding him slowly, bouncing up and down on his cock.

"Mmm, Rukia," Ichigo moaned and thrust against her. He pulled on her nipples making her moan as he bucked against her hips. Ichigo licked his lips as he stared into her eyes.

"Fuck me good Ichigo," she said and Ichigo started to thrust fast and hard against her as she rode him, meeting each of his thrusts with one of her own. Rukia let her head fall back as pleasure rolled through her body. She reached down and rubbed her clit as she felt her orgasm come closer.

"Rukia," Ichigo moaned and she looked down at him. "I'm getting close."

"Me too Ichi," she moaned and then screamed as Ichigo thrust deep into her and she came on his dick. Ichigo groaned and came with her, his cum shooting deep into her. Rukia rested on his chest as they both panted, trying to catch their breath. She looked up at him and grinned.

"I'm still horny," Ichigo said and Rukia smiled widely.

"Then let's go again," she said and scooted of him to lie on her side. Ichigo cuddled close behind her and lifted her leg into the air and pushed into her again. Rukia let out a throaty moan as Ichigo fucked her fast and hard. She reached behind her head and fisted her hands in his hair. Ichigo reached around her and played with her clit with one hand as he massaged her breasts with the other.

"You're so tight Rukia," he said and she moaned in response as the pleasure was too much for her to really speak. Ichigo buried his face in her hair and bit her earlobe as she cried out.

"Yes! Deeper, harder," she cried and Ichigo increased his speed.

"Mmmm, cum for me Rukia," he said and she moaned as she came on his cock; moaning even deeper as he came in her again. Ichigo pulled from her and wrapped his arms around her, their mixed cum coating her thighs.

"That was good," she said and placed her hands over his and they fell asleep.

* * *

Ichigo and Grimmjow lifted a box into the wagon, Nel and Rukia watching them as the two girls held their cloaks closed. Ichigo pushed the box of weapons to the front of the wagon and then stetched.

"Let's go!" Grimmjow shouted as more men rushed to load their boxes. Food, drink, weapons, clothes, it was all being loaded as they prepared to make their way to the Ice Palace. Ichigo and Grimmjow helped finish loading the wagons and then stood back and stayed next to their girls.

"Move out!" Toshiro called from atop his horse and kicked the horse's flanks as he led the column away. Ichigo and Grimmjow helped their girls onto the horses and then climbed onto theirs.

"Well, here we go," Ichigo said and waved to his men who formed up and started marching between the first group of a hundred wagons and the second. Each Division had one hundred wagons filled with supplies for them, plus the civilians. The Dragon Warrior Captains and Lieutenants rode at the head of their column of men at the front of the wagons to protect them.

"How long do we have to ride?" Rukia asked and Ichigo looked at the paper map in his hand.

"Judging by the distance and how much we have to protect, I'd say about a month," he said and they all sighed. It was going to be a long month. Ichigo looked back to see his dad far behind him, about half a mile back, leading not only his men, but the wagon carrying the table of the world kept in a steel chest hidden by a blanket.

"We must protect that wagon," Ichigo said to Grimmjow. "We must not let it fall into the enemy hands," Grimmjow nodded and then faced forward.

"We will Ichigo, we will get to the Ice Palace and then we will destroy these traitors and live peacefully with our girls.

* * *

**Hope everyone liked it. Please read and review and be nice :)) next chapter hopefully up soon.**


	15. Ambushed and Broken

**Well here is Chapter 15. Sorry it took so long to update. Been busy lately, and working on my book. I hope it was worth the wait, but probably not. I got halfway through and realized that it sucked pretty bad. Short chapter, 6 pages.**

**Lack of reviews…I obviously drove some people off with the lack of updates**

**Here are the reviews.**

**To gummibear090- thanks babe, had to steal the nickname :P**

**To RoseCastle348- thank you for liking this story, as for awesome…I think this chapter fails lol**

**To insomniac1970- no problem, yeah a calm before the storm…and this chapter sets the storm off **

**To oshii-enma- here is the update.**

* * *

Ichigo shifted on his horse for the hundredth time that day, his ass sore from the days of endless riding. The cold rain fell hard as the frigid wind tugged at their cloak, trying to pull them off. Ichigo pulled his cloak tight around him, trying to keep the freezing rain off his body. He looked to his left and saw Grimmjow doing the same; both men had matching grimaces on their faces. The cold was biting deep into his skin and penetrating down to his bones, the fire in his stomach not enough to keep him warm. Nel nudged her horse next to his and tapped his shoulder.

"Ichi, the wagons keep slowing us down in this mud," she called over the rain.

"Why aren't you miserable?" Ichigo asked and scowled.

"Mage, duh," Nel rolled her eyes and Ichigo dropped back next to Rukia so Nel could pull up next to her mate.

"Rukia," he called out to her and she looked up at him.

"Ichigo."

"How are you holding up?" he asked and she shrugged.

"Well enough I suppose," she replied and stared him in the eyes.

"Ichigo what's in that coach you always go to see at night?" she asked and he looked away, back towards the four horse team that pulled the coach along.

"That's for Captains only Rukia. Grimmjow doesn't even know," he said and she tugged on his arm.

"What is it?" she asked again and Ichigo looked at her.

"Rukia, there are some things you cannot know about."

"But Ichigo-"

"Rukia!" she stopped talking and stared at him. "Drop it," he said and let his horse slow down before he wheeled it around and trotted towards Isshin.

"It's too early for looking at the table Ichigo," Isshin said and Ichigo nodded.

"I know, but we need to stop and make camp," he said.

"No, we must keep marching," Yamamoto said as he stuck his head out from the coach where the table had been moved. "Tosen is only behind us by a few days, we must keep pushing away from them."

"Head-Captain, we must give everyone a break. The wagons are getting stuck in the mud, everyone is getting cold. I doubt Tosen would be stupid enough to actually attack us in the rain. His men are as tired and cold as ours, plus he has wagons too."

"Captain Ichigo I will take your concerns under advisement, but at this moment it is up to me. We keep moving forward," Yamamoto said and Ichigo glared and shook his head as Yamamoto pulled his head back into the coach.

"No, my people are breaking off from your army and are going to move to Captain Hitsugaya's palace at our own pace," Ichigo wheeled his horse and dashed off before Yamamoto could say anything. Ichigo raced to the front of his soldiers and slowed next to Grimmjow.

"Hello Captain," Grimmjow said softly and looked at him. "The people are angry that we aren't stopping for a break."

"Tell them that I have a new order. We are pulling away from the main army and moving on our own."

"Orders from the old man?"

"No, orders from me. We will march five miles south and then stop for a break before moving on to Toshiro's Palace. Tell the men to start pulling away from the main body at the next road," Ichigo said and turned his horse to wait for Rukia and Nel who stopped next to him.

"What's going on Ichi?" Nel asked as Grimmjow got off his horse and passed the word to the unit commanders to turn south.

"We are leaving the army and heading to Toshiro's at our own pace," Ichigo said and turned his horse to face the south when he felt a pain in his arm and looked down to see an arrow sticking through his upper left arm. He blinked at it for a moment and then looked up to see people falling to the ground as more arrows struck.

"Ichigo!" he looked to his right and saw Rukia and Nel fighting three men each.

"Rukia!" he screamed and drew Zangetsu. He spurred his horse forward and cut at one of the attackers, the man falling backwards as blood spurted from his chest and mixed with the rain.

"Nel!" Grimmjow charged at the second man as Ichigo jumped from his horse and attacked the third. Both men cut down the enemy soldiers and looked up at the sky. There was a loud roar and a fireball slammed into the middle of the column just behind the coach holding the table, hurling men through the air.

"Grimmjow, get the men out here," Ichigo shouted and turned to face the charge of men. The column of men turned and charged at Tosen's men. Ichigo and Grimmjow lead the charge for their men as the other Captains and Lieutenants lead their own Divisions. The ground a few feet behind Ichigo erupted as another fireball hit.

"Dragons! Go!" Grimmjow screamed and a few of the men changed and flew away to fight as the two front lines collided. Ichigo knocked the first sword away and cut the man across the face before he ducked around him and slashed a man across the neck.

"Captains! Retreat and protect the coach!" they heard Captain Yamamoto call out and most of the Captains ducked through the lines to defend the Table, leaving their Lieutenants to lead the men.

"Captain!" Ulquiorra appeared next to him. "We've got this sir."

"Grimmjow! Lead the men through the enemy and get the civilians to Captain Hitsugaya's Palace!" Ichigo said as he jabbed his sword the neck of another soldier. Suddenly a dragon hit the ground and crushed a few men, throwing Ichigo to the ground with the force. A shadow flew over the men and a line of fire burned men from both sides to a crisp before the dragon was hit in the back and forced to the ground.

"Captain Ichigo, get to the coach!" he heard Yamamoto scream

"Grimmjow! Lead the civilians away from here!" Grimmjow nodded and ran back to the wagons as Ichigo pulled Ulquiorra aside.

"What shall I do sir?" he asked as battle raged around them.

"You lead the men, push as fast and hard as you can and get as many through as you can. Get the men to Hitsugaya's Palace," Ulquiorra nodded and raised his sword.

"Forward! Rally to me! To me!" he charged into the battle, the men pushing with him. Ichigo sprinted through the men to the coach and stood by his father as the Division 1 guards ranks started to thin badly.

"Captains! Defend the Coach!" Yamamoto ordered as he jumped down and drew his sword. The 10 Captains stood there and waited as Tosen's soldiers pushed forward in one final attack which broke the lines.

"Ready son?" Isshin asked with a smile as Ichigo nodded, a grim look on his face. Isshin and Ichigo jumped into the fray as the soldiers in front of them gave way. Ichigo was a whirlwind of death; blood, limbs, and heads went flying as he and his father went from one enemy to another. Ichigo saw Yoruichi and Urahara fighting almost back to back as Yamamoto, Shunsui, and Ukitake danced their own battles.

"Ichigo!" Ichigo looked over his shoulder as Komamura sliced off the head of a soldier who was about to put his spear in Ichigo's back.

"Thanks Komamura," Ichigo said and blocked a strike before he cut the man open across the stomach, his guts falling out as he dropped to his knees. Isshin grabbed Ichigo by one of the shoulders and stabbed the man behind him in the throat.

"Ichigo, take the coach and follow your Division out of here," Isshin said and pointed his sword towards Ichigo's Division as they made their way through the mass of enemy soldiers. Ichigo looked up to the coach and shook his head.

"No, I am not going to leave you all behind," he said and twisted around his dad, laying open a man's neck, watching as he stumbled away before falling and twitching in the mud.

"It's not an option," he pointed to Yamamoto who was waving at Ichigo.

"Just meet me at Toshiro's, or Karin is going to kill me," Isshin nodded at that and smiled.

"Just get going, we'll all be there," Isshin said and jumped into the enemy lines. Ichigo ran up to Yamamoto and jumped into the driver seat.

"Getting going Kurosaki, get this to Captain Hitsugaya's Palace. I am counting on you," Yamamoto said and then struck down a man who had climbed onto the side of the coach. Ichigo cracked the reins and the horses took off, pulling the coach with them as they took off down the road towards his Division.

"Captain! Hurry!" he saw Grimmjow waving to him as the men struggled to keep the lines open enough for him. Ichigo cracked the reins again and the horses sped up. Grimmjow raised his arm and grabbed hold of the bench as the coach sped by. The men immediately started to cave backwards, closing the hole and trying to keep the enemy from getting through.

"How are the men holding?" Ichigo asked as they moved through the men, following the other wagons until they got through the enemy lines into a field. The clouds had cleared a few miles back, the fields dry.

"They are holding as best they can," he said and pointed to a low stone wall were the archers were hiding behind, firing into the mass of Tosen's men as Ichigo's sword and spear infantry held the enemy at bay.

"What should we do sir?" Grimmjow asked as Ichigo pulled the coach to a stop. Rukia and Nel galloped up to them as the wagons and civilians were led away by Ulquiorra.

"Tell the men to pull back and the archers to keep firing," Ichigo said as he got down from the seat. Nel and Rukia came to stand next to him. The men were slowly pulling back, though many of them were dying in the slow process.

"Ichigo, follow me," Grimmjow handed his sword to Nel and then changed into a dragon, Ichigo following his lead. They both launched into the air and then dove back to the ground. Ichigo and Grimmjow let liquid fire roll from their mouths and burn a path across the enemy lines. The fire made a wall that cut off the enemy from Division 5. Tosen's men started pulling back from the fire as the remaining men were slaughtered.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called out as he flew low and landed, changing back into a human.

"The men are safe, at least for now," he said and watched as the men formed up. "Move out! Follow Ulquiorra and the wagons, protect them," he said and the men rushed off at a semi run.

"What now Ichi?" Nel asked and Ichigo pointed towards a small nest of wood.

"Take the coach over there and wait for nightfall. After dark we'll start heading to the Ice Palace," Ichigo said and climbed back into the seat and the others climbed on their horses, Grimmjow climbing onto Nel's horse. The four of them rode over to the copse of trees and tied the horses to some trees.

"What now Ichigo?" Grimmjow asked as they pulled branches over the coach.

"Give me a few minutes. I need to look at something," he said and climbed into the coach. He sat down on the bench and pulled the cover off the Table and sat there, staring at the Table. He took a deep breath and waved his hand over the table, the images of hills, mountains, rivers, and cities lit up the top. He channeled a bit of fire from his fingertips into the table and the image zoomed to his location.

"Please be over," he begged and moved the land quickly to about where the battle had been. He saw few living beings on the ground, glowing softly, the dead not showing up on the table. He swallowed and then zoomed out. The large army of Tosen's was north, and still marching slowly, though it seemed as though it was smaller than before. There were a few smaller groups of men moving ahead of Tosen's army, and a small group, though bigger than the others, was just east of his position and heading north. He shut down the table and covered it again before he opened the door and stepped out.

"What are we going to do Ichigo?" Rukia asked as Ichigo closed the door.

"You and Nel stay here. Grimmjow with me," he started walking back towards the direction where the battle had been. "If we aren't back by nightfall head for Toshiro's Palace okay?" Rukia nodded as Grimmjow broke the kiss he was sharing with Nel and quickly caught up with Ichigo.

"You aint goin to say good bye to Rukia?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"No, we'll be back. There shouldn't be anyone left at the battlefield," Ichigo said and then covered his nose with a handkerchief as the smell of blood and death clogged his nose. He and Grimmjow stopped, both of them trying handkerchiefs to their faces to lessen the stench of corpses, before moving forward again.

Blood mixed with rain soaked the ground, making the dirt and grass turn into a cesspool of mud. The bodies of the dead littered the ground, in some places more than five feet high. Weapons, limbs, and heads covered the ground and, in some places, dragons. They slowly walked towards the road, walking past burning wagons and smoldering corpses. There were pikes sticking out of the ground near where the coach had been. On these pikes there sat heads, around the base a large circle had been cleared. At the base of each pike a body sat or lay on the ground. The five faces became clear as they walked closer, and Ichigo went to his knees as Grimmjow felt his stomach churn.

The five heads belonged to three Lieutenants and two Captains. The heads of Rangiku, Shuhei, Soi Fon, Yoruichi, and Komamura. Ichigo shook his head and felt tears run down his face. He touched Yoruichi's arm, as she was the closest body to him. He felt the cold skin against his own hand and shook.

"I'm sorry Kisuke," he said to himself and stepped back. He looked at Grimmjow and turned back to the bodies. He held out his hands and ten points of fire erupted from his fingertips, the fire covering the five bodies and heads, turning them all to ash. He turned back to Grimmjow and then placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What now sir?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo took a deep breath through his handkerchief.

"We go back to the girls, and then to Toshiro's. We must protect the coach," he said and started walking, only to be stopped by Grimmjows hand on his shoulder.

"Ichigo, what is in that coach?" Ichigo looked Grim right in the eyes and sighed.

"It's called the Table of the World, Grimmjow. It is a table fueled by magic. No one knows who made it, or where it came from, just that it has been with the Dragon Warriors for thousands of years, ever since the First Clans came together. The Table acts like a map; once activated you can see the whole world, rivers, cities, and forests. The only difference is that it is in real time. You can see fires burning, people walking, rivers flowing. Only the Captains know about the Table, until now. We use the table to make sure that everything is flowing well in the world."

"So the Captains use the Table to control the world?" Grimmjow asked, confusion on his face.

"Not exactly Grim. They use the Table, as we have the last few days and I did a hour ago, to stay ahead of our enemies. That's how we know where the armies of Tosen are."

"But they caught up with us, Ichigo," Grimmjow said and Ichigo nodded and looked down.

"Head Captain Yamamoto has grown arrogant in his age. He said that we didn't need to look at the table more than once a day. We missed when Tosen turned south to miss the river. They must have had scouts, because the attack came from both sides."

"Where are Tosen's forces now?"

"North, and heading North still. As are the other smaller forces that the Captains managed to pull together. We must make our way, as quickly as possible, to Toshiro's."

"Can't we just change into Dragons and move the Table?" Ichigo blinked at Grimmjow's idea and nodded.

"Let's try it when we get back," Ichigo said and started walking again.

* * *

Ichigo pulled the table from the coach and watched as Grimmjow changed. Grimmjow placed his front feet on each side of the Table and curled his claws around it. He launched into the air and then flew north. Ichigo looked at Nel and Rukia.

"Ready girls?" he asked and they both nodded. Ichigo changed and they climbed onto his back. Once they were settled on his back he launched into the air and quickly caught up with Grimmjow. Nel and Rukia fell asleep as they flew high over the mountains, Nel using her magic to keep both her and Rukia warm.

After a few hours of flight they landed in a snowy mountain pass, Grimmjow right behind them. The two girls slipped off Ichigo's back as Grimmjow changed. Two guards came forward as Ichigo changed back and they stopped.

"Identify yourself," the one on the right ordered and Ichigo stepped forward.

"Captain Ichigo Kurosaki of the 5th Division," he said and the guards nodded and stepped back. Ichigo and Grimmjow grabbed the table and lifted it onto a cart.

"Nel, Rukia, go on ahead and get Toshiro," Ichigo said and they ran off down the long thin pass, only wide enough for three men to pass through at a time. Ichigo and Grimmjow pushed the cart through the pass, meeting Toshiro half way with a horse and cart.

"Hurry, load the Table onto the cart Ichigo. We must get it into a safe room," he said and turned the horse and cart around slowly. When the cart was facing back Toshiro set the horse to gallop as Ichigo and Grimmjow jumped on the back with the Table. They got to a part where the pass widened and then they came upon a large stone door set into the mountain. About 30 feet up there was the parapet, men lined the top with bows and spears.

When they got into the front hall Toshiro helped Grimmjow and Ichigo carry the Table through the halls of the Ice Palace to a secure room. The walls were as blue and white as ice, the doors made of stone.

"Nice Palace Toshiro," Grimmjow said and Toshiro nodded.

"Thanks. How bad is it Ichigo?" Toshiro asked and Ichigo sighed.

"They attacked from both sides. I don't know how far down they got. I took the coach because my Division was the first to get out. We lost thousands at least, as well as Rangiku, Shuhei, Soi Fon, Komamura, and Yoruichi. Their heads had been removed from their bodies and placed on spikes. I burned them and let them blow away," Toshiro looked down at the floor and shook his head.

"And the rest?"

"I checked the Table. There were many small groups heading up this way. I would expect them to trickle in slowly. Tosen's force was traveling north, but I couldn't tell the rate of march."

"What do you suggest for defending?" Toshiro asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"I can't tell you how to defend your home, Toshiro," Ichigo said and Toshiro shook his head.

"No Ichigo, you are the Emperor, you have the authority."

"Fine. I suggest building a small wooden wall by the pass; keep the enemy from the main walls. We will put some archers on the cliffs above the pass, as well as some dragons. Keep Tosen in the pass as long as possible. If we can keep the enemy at bay we can kill him."

"But what about the food? We can't keep enough food in the Palace for everyone. We have enough food in the Palace holds for my Division alone to last for a month. We have a few farms in the warmer rooms, but they make enough food to hold our men and the people."

"We will have to send out parties through the mountain passes, either that or keep enough men here to hold the enemy back while the rest get out and hide," Ichigo said and Toshiro nodded.

"The one problem though Ichigo, the passes are small and very dangerous."

"That's why the parties will be armed."

"But they are still small; we can't get wagons through most of them. The men will only be able to get what they can carry."

"What about dragons?" Toshiro shook his head.

"The mountains are too high even for dragons. You wouldn't have enough air to reach the top of the one above us," Ichigo sighed and then walked to a window where he could see the pass ahead of them.

"So in other words, if we stay here, we will be trapped?"

"Yes Ichigo. We will be trapped here until we starve or are all killed. Ichigo sighed and let his head thump down against the window sill.

"We wait until Yamamoto gets here. Then we decide what to do about staying or going. We can last long here, but without food we won't survive."

* * *

**Well there is the chapter. Hope it was okay. Read and review please.**


	16. Leaving to Home

www. change petitions/fanfiction-net-stop-the-destruction-of-fanfiction-net

-i just got word that they are trying to delete stories off of fanfiction that the "minority of tight asses" ill call them deem unfit to read. Go to the site above to sign an online petition...or stories like this one and Operation: silence the strawberry might never be read again. They might even shut down all together. please please sign and give a good reason to stop this trampeling of our rights!

**Well I am currently working on chapter 18 of Dragon Wars and 4 of Mindcrime. This story still has a ways to go and now that am working nights ill be able to write more during day…assuming I can stop playing League of Legends long enough to write o.0**

**Not much been going on here, but ive been working hard, so I hope you all like the chapter. Please remind me and ill update next Friday with 17 alright guys?**

**Now on to the reviews.**

**To insomniac1970– yes I know its been too long, sorry man, I hope these new updates make up for everything and get my old reviewers back.**

**To RoseCastle348– I don't know about flawless lol, but thanks, next chapters should be up every week like they used to, keep your fingers crossed.**

**To quietreaper– I didn't know they would go so well together, I just hoped they would :P**

**To haeye– well not much so far, but the next chapter will have action ;)**

**To civ– WRONG! Its not over yet, far from it, keep reading :)**

**Well, the next chapter will have plenty of action, as will the next few. The war is now beginning in earnest and many will die…but who (evil laugh) **

**Disclaimer: even though I do not own Bleach I own this story…its good I don't own bleach, because it would be a hentai manga from page 1 :D**

* * *

Ichigo grunted as he helped Grimmjow stand a log upright as two men nailed a board to it to hold it to the other two logs next to it. Meanwhile there were men down the line making a small platform along the back of the wall. The logs were about ten feet high but differed in circumference and some logs were shorter than others by about a foot and a half so men could fire bows and crossbows into the narrow pass. There was a small gate, set in the middle of the wall, wide enough for a wagon to pass through. There was no wall above the gate though, just air so the wagons could carry what they needed to without having to be unloaded at the gate.

Ichigo stepped back and leaned backwards with his hands on his lower back, popping his spine. As he stood there and watched the men work the sounds of metal on stone reached his ears. He looked up as he heard a shout and watched as a chunk of rock fell towards the ground and hit the other stones that lined the pass. Those stones were placed in carts and carried through the gate to build a second, albeit smaller wall only a few feet high, as a second line of defense.

There was a small doorway set in the rock to each side of the wall. Stairs led upwards along the cliff face, deep trenches had been hewn from the rock. The trenches were deep enough for men to stand in them and take cover from attackers. There would be archers at different levels up to rain arrows into the men below. Ichigo turned back to the palace walls as Toshiro walked out and headed for him.

"Ichigo!" Ichigo raised a hand in greeting. "How is the wall coming along?"

"Good I suppose, though wood won't last long against a mage or dragon," Toshiro shrugged.

"It will have to hold as long as it can. Are there guards at the passes?"

"As far as I know. I haven't been near them all day."

"I'll check on that then," he looked down and then at the gate behind Ichigo.

"Has anyone made it yet?" Ichigo shook his head and Toshiro sighed. "How long do you think it will be before Tosen gets here?"

"I don't know Toshiro. I haven't looked at the Table since last night, and it hadn't moved far from the battlefield."

"I see," Toshiro ducked his head.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to apologize," he said and Ichigo shook his head.

"Toshiro you've apologized enough. I've forgiven you for not supporting me earlier. It's not me you have to get forgiveness from, its Karin," Ichigo said and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Speaking of whom, she and Yuzu want to speak with you in Karin's room," Toshiro walked off to check on the smaller passes.

"Karin's room? I thought you and her shared a room?"

"We did, until she made me sleep in a spare room," he said and lowered his head as he walked away. Ichigo sighed and then chuckled and cracked a small smile as he walked to the palace. The halls were dim even with the light from the torches glinting off them. Guards ran past him carrying supplies for the fletchers, armorers, and weapon smiths. Ichigo walked slowly, looking at the pictures that lined the walls.

A sad feeling came over him as he walked past portraits of Karin with Toshiro and Karin with the rest of the family. The one that he liked the most, and stopped for a moment to look at, was one of Karin and their mom. Karin was on Masaki's back with her arms around Masaki's neck and both were smiling and laughing. Ichigo shook his head sadly and kept going down the hall until he reached a pair of huge double doors made of ice with a dragon carved into each.

"Come in Ichigo!" he heard Karin shout through the doors as he raised his fist to knock.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked as he walked into the room. Karin was sitting on the couch with Yuzu at her side holding her hand.

"You're my brother, I think I would know when you're at my door," she said and Ichigo shrugged.

"Toshiro said you wanted to speak to me?" Karin nodded and Ichigo sat down on a chair in front of her. "What about?"

"What should I do about Toshiro? Should I forgive him?" she asked and Ichigo smiled.

"Do you love him?" Karin nodded. "Then forgive him."

"But he went against the family," Karin said and Ichigo shrugged.

"That didn't stop me from forgiving him," Ichigo said and Karin frowned.

"How did you forgive him so easily? He betrayed you by not supporting you," Karin said and Ichigo smiled.

"But he thought he was doing the right thing. You can't be mad at him for doing what he thinks is right," Ichigo knelt down in front of his sister and took her hands in his. "He really does love you Karin, and he wants to do the right thing to keep you and your child safe."

"Our daughter," Karin said and Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"You can't tell that yet. And you're missing the point. He just wants you safe. Won't you forgive him?" Karin looked at her hands in Ichigo's and then back up at him.

"I'll think on it," she said and Ichigo nodded and leaned up to kiss her forhead.

"Now, there is something I need to talk to you both about okay," they both nodded. "You need to leave; I know a family that will take care of you until this is all over. You two don't need to be mixed up in this war."

"But Ichi, we can't leave," Yuzu said and Karin nodded.

"I have to stay here for Toshiro," Karin argued and Ichigo shook his head.

"Please, as my little sisters you need to be safe. I don't know where goat face is or if he is even alive," Ichigo said and both of the girls looked down.

"Is Rukia going along?" Yuzu asked and Ichigo sighed before nodding.

"I haven't asked her yet, but yes she will be going along," Ichigo said and both of the girls nodded again.

"And Nel?" Karin asked. "I'd like to have some support from a mage."

"I haven't talked to Grimmjow but I'm sure that he will send Nel too. I'll try to get some others to go with you to keep you safe but it won't be much."

"We will try to keep low. Who are we staying with?"

"You'll be staying with Nel's mother," Ichigo said. "I've already written her a letter and sent it out. She'll be expecting you both."

"You've already told her we are coming?" Karin practically screamed. "We haven't agreed to go yet!"

"Why do we have to go? I don't want to go!" Yuzu complained.

"Karin! Yuzu! Enough!" Karin stopped complaining and sat there quietly. That was the first time Ichigo had raised his voice to her and Yuzu. "You are going, there is no arguing. I will deal with Toshiro," he said as Karin opened her mouth.

"But Ichi," Yuzu started as he glared at her.

"You leave tomorrow," he turned on his heel and walked briskly from the room, closing the doors sharply behind him. He walked down the hall, clasping hands behind his back. He saw Grimmjow and Toshiro talking. They stopped conversing when he walked up to them and turned to face him.

"Captain," Grimmjow greeted him. "The first wall is complete and the cliff face is ready to hold men about half way down the pass."

"Good, it seems that everyone is working well and fast. Now I have to talk to both of you."

"About what?" Toshiro asked and Ichigo sighed and placed an arm around both their shoulders and lead them over to an area where there weren't any men.

"I've told Yuzu and Karin that they are leaving. They will be going to Nel's mother, and I want Nel and Rukia to go too," he said looking at Grimmjow. Grimmjow looked at him then nodded after a moment.

"I'll make sure she goes. Your sisters need to be safe," he said and Toshiro nodded.

"I feel the same. Karin will go."

"She's already going. I just told her, and she's arguing about it," Ichigo said and Toshiro nodded.

"She'll probably cut me off for longer now, but I'll make sure she goes."

"Is anyone else going?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo shrugged.

"I need to find a few more guards, but ones that are good and experienced so that we won't have to send a lot of them," both men nodded and Ichigo turned to the gate as a shout went up.

"What is that?" he asked as a horn was blown.

"Someone has entered the pass area," Toshiro said and ran towards the gate followed closely by the other two. When they reached the wall they climbed the ladders on each side and looked out at the pass.

"Who is it?" Toshiro shouted as a man ran along one of the wall trenches.

"It's Head Captain Yamamoto!" the man shouted as he ran down the stairs and through the stone door. "He's brought more men!" the man stopped behind the gate to take a few breaths.

"Get the gate open and continue working," Ichigo said as he climbed down the ladder and walked to one of the other smaller passes to be used for gathering supplies. Toshiro waited at the main gate for Yamamoto as Ichigo directed the scavenger parties to head out to find and carry as much food as they could before the winter storms set in.

"Emperor!" Yamamoto called out and Ichigo looked back at him. "I have brought more men!"

"Good to see you Head Captain," Ichigo walked over to him. "Who else survived?"

"I last saw Lieutenant Matsumoto running from the enemy with a full company pursuing her. I don't know if she made it or not."

"We shall figure that out eventually. Come with me sir, and I shall show you where the table is," Yamamoto shook his head.

"I need to tell you about the battle and I would like a tour of the defenses," Ichigo nodded to him.

"As you wish, Head Captain," he said and led him to the wooden palisade. "Here is the first line of defense. We will post archers along the wall and then more above the pass, there," he pointed to the cliff face where men were still clearing out trenches. They will rain fire from down there, and if they get past the wall, which they will eventually, there are small doors that can be held with few men. The cliff face is too smooth to climb though, so no worries about men getting around the wall."

"What about the stones back here?"

"That is just for the soldiers to feel good if the wall falls. It's to keep the enemy at bay while the others fall back into the fortress or escape through the passes."

"Do you think we can hold out?"

"Sir, I saw nine Divisions get massacred and routed by humans. We don't stand a chance," Ichigo said and Yamamoto nodded.

"The last report I had from my Lieutenant, Tosen had almost a full 15 Divisions plus two Dragon Warrior Divisions."

"We won't be able to beat them. Maybe if we send assassins we could take out Tosen and then the whole thing would fall apart," Ichigo said and Yamamoto nodded.

"Isshin said the same thing before we left to rescue your men. The only reason we can't is because we can only think of one person Tosen wouldn't suspect and she is taken," he said and Ichigo growled.

"You're talking about Rukia," he grabbed Yamamoto by the collar and held him close.

"You listen here old man. I will not have my Rukia being led to Tosen so he can marry her," Ichigo nearly spat in his face.

"I understand that, and I am not saying we are taking her. She is just the only one who can get close," Ichigo thought for a moment and shook his head.

"No, there's always me," he said and Yamamoto shook his head.

"You are the Emperor, you cannot give yourself up. We will find another," another horn blew and they both looked towards the gate.

"Captain Isshin is here!" Ichigo ran for the gate and skidded to a halt as they waited. Soon enough Isshin Kurosaki appeared, with a whole regiment of men in tow, many of them carrying litters.

"Dad," Isshin raised his hand to halt Ichigo from speaking.

"Shuhei is dead, as well as-"

"I know dad. I scattered their ashes. What of Kisuke?"

"He lives still; he is heading this way with most of his men intact. We have many casualties though. Any word from Unohana?"

"None, I don't know if she knows about the ambush. I hope she gets here; we will need all of Division 4 to stay in battle."

"We have Kenpachi here, he's pretty bad off. We need to get him help."

"Unohana isn't here yet dad, we'll have to place him in a room here," as Ichigo gave Isshin directions to his rooms. As Isshin left to oversee Kenpachi's rest Ichigo moved to the front gate.

"Ichigo!" he turned to see a fuming Rukia stalking towards him.

"Yes love?" he replied.

"Don't give me this 'yes love' shit. What is this I hear about me leaving?" Ichigo stared at her for a moment before he sighed and walked towards the palace gates, Rukia walking behind. When they got to their rooms Ichigo faced her as she sat down on the couch.

"You are leaving with Karin, Yuzu, and Nel to Nel's mother's house. There will be no arguing. You will be safe there until I can come and get you. When this war is over we will have a good life, but until then you must go."

Rukia stared at him for a moment, fire in her eyes. She stood up and folded her arms over her chest as she glared hard at him. If looks could kill Ichigo would be on fire right now. She stalked up to him and glared up at him for a moment before her hand flashed out and smacked him across the face. His head barely moved as he stared down at her.

"When do I leave?" she asked as a hand print started to appear.

"Tonight if we can get enough of an escort," Ichigo said and Rukia gave him a curt nod before she turned on her heel and walked quickly to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her and locking it. "I'm sorry Rukia, but it's for your own good."

Ichigo walked back down the hallways, the servants and workers dodging out of his way. When he reached the outer door he stopped and took a deep breath of air. The air was cold and getting colder as night approached. The sun would disappear behind the mountains soon and then the temp would drop far below freezing making it dangerous to work for the humans. Ichigo watched as the human workers came in and the Dragon Warriors who could change took their spots. Ichigo walked to the door in the stone wall when a horn echoed through the pass.

"What now?" Ichigo groaned as he walked to the wall. Pretty soon a long line of people came walking down the pass, Dragon Warriors at their head.

"Ah, Ichigo," Urahara greeted him as he approached. "I have good news. I managed to gather all the soldiers and people I could find, as well as Division 4. Have you seen Yoruichi?" he asked and Ichigo looked down and took a deep breath.

"Am sorry Kisuke. She was killed. I burned her and sent her ashes to the wind," Ichigo said and Kisuke looked at him and shook his head in denial.

"No, she can't be," Kisuke said and Ichigo placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Kisuke," he said and Kisuke fell to his knees as he wept. Ichigo held his hand on Urahara's shoulder as others walked past them. Many of them were bloodied and being carried by their comrades.

"Ichigo," Unohana gave him a small bow and Ichigo bowed back.

"I will have Ulquiorra show you to a room where you can set up a hospital."

"Thank you Emperor," she said and Ichigo nodded and called Ulquiorra over, giving him instructions. As Ulquiorra lead the line of people away more kept trickling in. Ichigo sighed and looked at the sky as the last rays of sun disappeared. He walked up the stone stairs and down the walkway, bits of stone crackled under his feet as he walked. Men swung their pickaxes, taking out more and more chunks of stone as others dug small holes in the wall to hold torches, arrows, and small ballista.

Ichigo went all the way to the end of the trench, about half ways down the pass, and started to break off large chunks of rock. He could hear bats flapping around him as they looked for food. Ichigo broke off a large chunk of rock and tossed it off the cliff, watching as it careened down the cliff face until it hit the ground and exploded into small pieces. He turned back to the dead end and realized that the stone was getting higher as he went along. Ichigo had the sudden idea of building a tunnel into the rock and carving out holes in the sides to fire from so the men would be more protected. He swung the pick again and started on the tunnel.

* * *

Grimmjow sat on the bed as Nel paced the room. He slouched forward, elbows on his knees, hands out in front, as Nel walked from wall to wall. His eyes followed her as his head stayed still, too tired from the argument.

"_Grimm I can stay here and take care of myself."_

"_I know you can, but I want you to go to your mother's and be safe. You have to protect the others," he said and grabbed her shoulders so she would stop pacing. She looked into his eyes and saw the pain there. "I can't lose you," she saw the desperation in his eyes and hugged him, burying her face in his chest._

"_Oh Grimmy, I can't lose you either. Why don't you come with me?" she asked and looked up at him, the torn look on his face._

"_I want to Nel, but Ichigo needs me," he said and she got angry._

"_Ichigo needs me. I must do my duty to my Division. Ichigo would need me here. God damn it Grimmjow I need you!" she pulled away from him. "What about me? Where do I stand in all this? Am I just some girl you decided to marry to always have at your hip to do your cooking and laundry and have sex with you? Is that all I'm here for? Do you not love me? Do you not want to be with me except for sex?" she slung the words at him and saw the pain and betrayal in his eyes with every sentence; but she didn't stop._

"_All it is now is Ichigo. If Ichigo asked you to leave me would you? If he told you to stay away from me and never see me again would you stay away? You are nothing but his lap dog Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. You are nothing to him but a dog to order to his death under the guise of duty and honor. You disgust me," she spat and stalked towards the door. She heard a sob from behind her and stopped, confused. When she turned around she saw Grimmjow on his knees._

"_Please Nel, don't go like this. You know I love you. You know the answer to all your questions. You hurt me by thinking that I don't love you. You know better than that. Look what I took you away from and gave you. I don't want to lose you Nel, ever, but this war, this battle here; it's a losing battle. We won't win and I don't want you here when we lose. I don't want you here to be passed from man to man as a playing thing until you're so bruised and bloody that no one wants you and they kill you. I don't want you here to die if we can't hold the line long enough. Please Nel, you know I love you, you know that I wouldn't' ask you to go if I didn't," she stared into his blue eyes, now leaking tears down his face. She saw the pain from her words, the sadness of asking her to leave, and the betrayal of trust all in his eyes._

"_Oh Grimmy-bear," she walked over to him and held his head against her breasts as he cried. "I'm so sorry, I am so so so sorry, from the bottom of my heart. I didn't mean it Grimmjow, I was just angry that you wanted me to leave. I didn't mean any of it I swear to you, I swear on my love for you I didn't mean it. I just don't want to leave and then hear that you've been killed. I don't want to lose you," she buried her face in his head and started to cry._

"_You won't lose me Nel, I swear to you that I will return to you," he mumbled and she nodded._

"_I know you will. Will you ever forgive me Grimm? Can you forgive me what I said?"_

"_Of course Nel," he pulled away from her and stared her in the eyes as he cupped her face in his hands softly. "I will always forgive you. Why would I not?"_

"_Cause of all the things I said. I know that I was wrong to say them and I'm sorry. I know that you love me and that you wouldn't hurt me," she looked down._

"_Nel, baby, look at me," she did. "I will always forgive you because I love you. You have a right to question me, and to say what you want. As long as you remember that I love you with all my heart and I will never hurt you," he said and she nodded._

"_I know Grimmjow, and I am sorry. When do I leave?"_

"_Tomorrow sometime. When it's warm and sunny. Rukia, Yuzu, and Karin will be with you. You're going along more for their protection than yours. I know my girl can take care of herself," he said and she smiled._

Now she was pacing and Grimmjow expected another argument. She stopped after a few more rounds and stood in front of him, staring at him. She walked over to him slowly, her hips swaying softly, until she stood directly in front of him. Grimmjow looked up into her eyes and saw need there.

"Nel?" she leaned down and took his face in her hands softly, closing her eyes and placing a soft kiss on his lips. Grimmjow closed his eyes and kissed her softly in response.

"I love you Grimmjow," Nel said softly and Grimmjow smiled.

"I love you too Nel," he leaned in for another kiss but she pulled back.

"I better get ready to go. Have to pack up my clothes and stuff," she quickly walked off to the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Grimmjow looked at the floor before he smiled and stood up, leaving the room and closed the door. He walked down the hall and out into the cold night, watching Ichigo talk to Urahara. He walked over slowly and they both looked at him.

"What's going on?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo nodded his head towards Urahara.

"Kisuke here has some elite soldiers with him that will be sent with the girls."

"Yes, I only have three left of these soldiers. The others were killed in the ambush," Kisuke said as he removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "I will send them with the girls to keep them safe."

"When can we meet them?" Grimmjow asked and Kisuke shrugged.

"I guess when the girls leave in the morning," Urahara said and Grimmjow nodded a few times.

"Has anyone else come in?" he asked and Ichigo nodded.

"Yes, everyone is here now, we just checked the table. Tosen is almost here. We have two days at the least before they get here," Ichigo said and looked at the gate where soldiers were stacking wood to brace the gate when the enemy got there.

"Are the trenches ready?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo nodded.

"We finished them earlier and are now stocking them with arrows and torches," the three men stood there and watched the workers run around like buzzing bees as they laid stones for the secondary wall set. Suddenly a scream went up and the men split for bows or cover as a dragon flew overhead. The dragon shot a fireball from its mouth and the ground exploded, sending men flying. Ichigo, grabbed two bows and tossed one to Grimmjow. Both men drew arrows back and sighted the dragon before they loosed. The dragon screamed and plummeted to the ground, its neck snapping as it hit the ground. They approached the dragon and smiled in unison as they saw the arrows, one in each eye.

"Nice shot sir," Grimmjow said and pulled both arrows from the body.

"Same to you Grimm," Ichigo said and clapped him on the back. The dragon snorted fire from its nose and both men jumped back.

"Traitor," Kisuke growled and raised his sword over his head. He brought the sword down point first and pushed the sword through the dragon's skull. Kisuke pulled his sword free then looked at Ichigo and stood up straight. "You'll meet the three soldiers tomorrow when the girls leave," he turned on his heel and walked away, back held straight.

"I feel like things are about to get bad," Ichigo said and then up to the sky. "Very bad," Grimmjow looked up and nodded.

"Maybe we should get back inside, our girls need us," he said and Ichigo shook his head.

"Am sleeping out here. Rukia doesn't want me in bed tonight. She's still pissed at me," Ichigo said and Grimmjow nodded.

"I understand. Enjoy your stay in the cold," Grimmjow grinned and started running as Ichigo chased him.

**Hope it was good enough to please you. Sorry again it took so long. Review please :)**


	17. Getting Ready and Leavings

**Hello again everyone! Its good to be back to writing again. And its good to hear from people. I'm surprised that im still getting reviews on OSTS. Well nothing really happened this week other than writing.**

**I did find a new site, , and have talked to the people there. They are very nice but if you are underage you are not allowed there for legal reasons. I am going to start posting my stories on the site probably Monday…so if my stuff disappears from FF that's where ill be.**

**There is a sex scene here and its pretty MA rated lol.**

**Now to the reviewers.**

**To blackheart– lol, yes she makes him sleep outside because he didn't ask her to leave, he ordered her to.**

**To The Secret Shinigami– heres more for you**

**To anonymous– okay, that review has to be the best one ive seen in a while. I was rolling all day, and still am. That made my day lol..but you make a good point**

**To insomniac1970– lol, yes it is a bit of a challenge…and im also glad to be back, ill keep up the work as best I can**

**To Insane Fangirl 4– thank you, im glad you like the stories. I try to make them as graphic as possible to fill my twisted mind lol…girly girl you are not lol, yeah ichigo does whine quite a bit…lol, well shuuhei wont be the last to die…the next chapter gets even bloodier than the others before it. Cheers!**

**To hebi r- yes good point, I need to go fix that later on, thank you**

**To BlackWhiteZangetsu- its about damn time you reviewed lol…no I wasn't dead, well not yet :P**

**Disclaimer: since I know you all want to read ill make this quick…I do not own Bleach or the characters, just the plot…love you all**

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Grimmjow rolled over and watched Nel sleep. The sheets were pulled down to her stomach showing the top of her silk nightgown which was as green as her hair and barely covered her breasts. Grimmjow stared at her for a moment, one of the straps had slipped part ways off her shoulder and her head was facing him, her hair covering part of her face, her mouth was open a bit as she breathed in and out slowly. He reached out and brushed a bit of hair off her face softly.

"Grimm?" Nel stirred slowly and blinked as she looked at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just enjoying watching you sleep," he said and she smiled softly.

"You going to miss me?" she asked and he nodded.

"Yes I will. I'll miss having you in my arms at night keeping me warm," Nel smiled.

"Well, if you want, I can make my last night here very pleasurable," she said with a sultry smile.

"Hmm, and how so?" Grimmjow asked as Nel leaned in close.

"Something to help keep you warm at night," Nel growled and kissed him lightly. Her right hand went to his bare chest and traced patterns. Grimmjow kissed her a bit deeper and Nel ran her hand down his stomach, fingers pointed down. Her fingers reached the edge of his pants and she slipped them past the waistband, her fingers lightly touching his hardening cock. Her nails raked lightly across the skin before she took him in her hand and started to stroke him slowly.

"Mmm," Grimmjow grinned at her. "You have such soft hands."

"Glad you think so," she purred. "Now just wait and see how soft my lips are," she grinned.

"I want to see how soft these are first," Grimmjow said and grabbed her breasts roughly, squeezing them through the fabric of her nightgown.

"Oh," Nel gasped at the sudden attack and then smirked. "Your hands feel good," she cooed. Grimmjow sat up and pulled the other strap off her shoulder and pulled the top of her nightgown down until her breasts spilled out. Grimmjow grabbed them again and squeezed her nipples between his finger and thumb.

"Your breasts are very soft, and yet firm too," Grimmjow said as he pulled on and rolled her nipples.

"Are they really?" Nel asked, and then gasped as Grimmjow took her left nipple into his mouth and sucked on it, biting and flicking it with his tongue. Grimmjow moaned in agreement around her nipple and she gasped again, wrapping her left arm around his head and pulled his head closer as her right hand stroked him faster. Grimmjow moaned against her nipple and slid a hand down her stomach till he reached her waist. He grabbed a bunch of fabric and pulled the nightgown up until he could get his hand under it.

"You're sexy," he whispered as he ran his hand up the inside of her thigh.

"Am I really?" she asked and he nodded as he slipped his hand up her nightgown and let his fingers rub lightly against her cunt. Nel gasped and lifted her hips off the bed as he pressed his fingers against her clit. "Oh fuck."

Grimmjow bit down on her nipple then switched breasts as he continued to play with her clit. Nel gasped for breath as she felt herself getting really wet. She let go of Grimmjow and grabbed his head, pulling his face up so she could kiss him. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and played with his, moaning into his mouth as he slipped a finger inside of her. Grimmjow grinned softly as he shoved his finger all the way into her and felt her wetness. He pulled his finger out and pulled away from Nel, sticking the finger into his mouth and sucking it clean of the sweet cream as he moved to hover over her. Nel lay on the bed under him, staring up at him through half lidded eyes as he slid down her body slowly, her pale smooth skin exciting him even more. He placed soft kisses on her stomach and on the shaved area above her pussy.

"Grimmjow," Nel moaned as he licked her pussy softly. She reached down and grabbed two handfuls of his hair and tugged lightly as he ran his tongue all over the inside of her thighs and her cunt. She gasped and bucked her hips against his mouth as he took her clit into his mouth and sucked hard. He kept sucking on her clit as he slipped two fingers into her slowly and started to pump them into her. He kept licking and sucking on her clit as she slowly bucked her hips against his mouth. She moaned at the loss when Grimmjow pulled his fingers from inside of her and she looked at him.

"What are you doing Grimmjow? I was sooo close," she whined and he grinned, lowering his head back to her cunt.

"Because I want this night to last as long as I can," he said and she pulled on his hair.

"Fuck that Grimm. I won't see you for who knows how long. I want you to fuck me hard and make me cum till I pass out," she said and he smiled softly.

"As you wish," he said and Nel screamed in pleasure as Grimmjow roughly shoved three fingers into her pussy and pumped into her fast and hard. Juices ran from her pussy as her head slammed back against the pillow. She bucked her hips on Grimmjow's hand as more juices came spilling out from her soaked cunt. She gasped for air, her mouth trying to form the words to tell Grimm that she was about to cum, but no words came out. Grimmjow felt her walls closing on his hand and he sucked hard on her clit, biting it softly, and Nel screamed his name as she came. More fluids poured from her pussy and coated the inside of her thighs and the sheet under her as Grimmjow kept thrusting his fingers deep into her as he licked her clit. Her orgasm kept going and going as Grimmjow pushed her on for half a minute before he withdrew his fingers and Nel collapsed on the bed, exhausted.

"How was that?" he asked and Nel swallowed and nodded as she gasped for air, her eyes closed as she tried to rest. Grimmjow smiled and took her clit between two fingers and pinched it, making Nel's eyes snap open as she screamed again. Grimmjow quickly went back to sucking on her clit as he shoved three fingers into her again making her scream his name and buck her hips wildly. Within a few seconds she was already coiling tight as her orgasm built fast. Grimmjow thrust his fingers deep and hard as Nel grabbed onto his blue hair and held on tight. She gasped for air and moaned making her gasp for more air as he quickly brought her to her second peak. With another scream her back arched off the bed as she pushed her cunt against Grimmjow's mouth at the same time that she pulled his face against her pussy with his hair. He rubbed her clit to keep her cumming as he quickly replaced his fingers with his mouth, licking her insides ferociously with his tongue. Nel's body spasmed as her orgasm rocked her body.

"Gr…Grimm….ahhh!" after a few more seconds of licking her Grimmjow pulled away and Nel dropped to the bed. She gasped for breath as Grimmjow crawled up her body and hovered over her. She opened her eyes and stared up at him, gasping for breath with a smile on her face.

"You enjoy that?" he asked and she nodded then blinked as she felt something poking her clit. She looked down and gasped softly, wondering when he had time to get out of his pants. Nel closed her mouth and swallowed to wet her dry throat. Without a moment more Grimmjow took hold of his cock and thrust into her hard and fast. Nel's head snapped back, her mouth open wide in a silent scream as he fucked her hard and fast. Grimmjow thrust into Nel roughly as she reached up and pulled his head down to kiss him. Their tongues tangled together roughly as Grimmjow buried himself repeatedly into her warmth. Nel gasped into his mouth, her eyes open wide as she felt his fingers play with her clit.

"Grimmjow," she raked her nails against his shoulders and upper arms, her nails cutting into his flesh. Nel came again, her back arching pushing her breasts and stomach against him. Nel collapsed onto the bed, only to be rolled onto her left side as Grimmjow lifted her right leg up. Nel just lay on the bed as he fucked her nice and hard. Nel moaned in pleasure as his cock pounded deep into her. Nel played with her breasts as Grimmjow brought her back to another orgasm. Nel couldn't even scream, she was too exhausted, as Grimmjow came with her this time, his cum shooting deep inside her pussy and filling her up until it spilled out onto their thighs. Grimmjow pulled out and collapsed next to her as they both gasped for air.

"That was amazing. How many was that?" she gasped lightly and Grimmjow shrugged.

"I'm not sure," he looked over at her as she stared at him. "What?" he asked and she smirked as she reached down and dug two fingers into her cunt before she pulled them out. They were covered in their mixed juices all the way down the fingers. She stared into his eyes as she licked her fingers slowly before she slid them into her mouth and slowly sucked them clean. Grimmjow was hard once again and Nel smiled as she watched his dick harden. She used her magic to energize her body before she rolled onto him and held her hips over his cock as she leaned forward, her hands flat on his chest.

"Do you want me again Grimmy-bear?" she asked and he grinned and nodded. Nel's pussy was still soaking wet as she lowered herself onto his cock. Before he was even half way in though Grimmjow thrust up into her and she gasped, dropping down onto him. Grimmjow thrust into her again and she moaned, leaning down over him to kiss him passionately. As their tongues battled for dominance Grimmjow grabbed Nel's breasts and massaged them roughly, pulling on her nipples. They broke apart when they needed air to take a quick breath before diving in again to battle. Grimmjow finally won and his tongue explored her mouth as he fucked her cunt nice and hard. Nel moaned into his mouth and then reached down to play with her clit. Both of them broke apart again and screamed each other's names as they came together, their combined juices flowing from her pussy and running down Grimmjow's cock and farther still until it hit the bed sheets.

"Oh fuck," Nel laid down on Grimmjow's chest as they both tried to catch their breaths. "That was good," she gasped lightly and Grimmjow nodded.

"Very good," Grimmjow agreed and Nel leaned her elbows on his chest, her face in her hands, as she stared down at him. "What?"

"We still have all night," she said and a sparkle appeared in her eye.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, knowing that sparkle.

"I want to try something new," she said with a grin.

"What's that?" he asked and she licked her lips and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"I want you to fuck me in the ass," she said and Grimmjow shook his head.

"No! I will not hurt you like that," he said and Nel kissed him softly and stared into his eyes.

"Please Grimmy-bear. I want to try this. Please, for me?" she asked softly and he stared into her eyes for a moment. "Please don't make me beg for it Grimm honey," she said and pouted softly. Grimmjow bit his lip, torn at the decision. Nel pouted more and Grimmjow sighed.

"Only if you're sure," he said and Nel nodded with a large smile. She lifted herself off of him and got off the bed, walking towards one of the bags she had packed. She bent over and rummaged around in it while Grimmjow looked on. She came back to the bed with an object in her hand. "What is that?"

"It's the toy that I use when you aren't here to pleasure me," she said and held it up. It was smooth wood shaped like a dick and polished with magic so it wouldn't break or splinter from over use.

"And what are you going to do with that?" he asked as he leaned up on his elbows.

"I'm going to shove it deep in my pussy while you fuck me in the ass. I've heard that if it's both holes it doesn't hurt as much at first," she grinned and Grimmjow raised an eyebrow.

"Who did you talk to about all this? And how long have you been planning this?" he asked.

"Umm, for a while now, and I talked to Rangiku," she grinned softly. "She seems to know a lot about this kind of thing. She pretty much became a whore when Toshiro married Karin."

"Oh great," Grimmjow sighed as Nel climbed back into bed, the wooden dick in her hand. Grimmjow got off the bed as Nel got on her hands and knees. She reached between her legs with the dildo and rubbed it around her pussy to get it nice and wet before she slowly inserted it into her hole. Nel gasped and laid her shoulders down on the bed as she slowly started to piston the dildo in and out. Grimmjow knelt down behind Nel and took some oil, spreading it over her ass.

"Ooh, Grimm, it feels so good," she moaned as he stuck a finger into her ass. She bit her bottom lip hard as he moved his finger in and out.

"You ready baby girl?" Grimmjow asked and she nodded. Grimmjow placed his hands on her hips and pressed the head of his cock against her ass. Nel turned her head and took a pillow into her mouth, biting down on it as Grimmjow slowly pushed into her hole. Nel's fingers gripped the sheets as he stretched her ass. Grimmjow leaned over her back and placed kisses along her shoulders as she got used to the pain. She nodded slightly when she was ready and drew in a shuddering breath when he pulled almost all the way. She lost her breath and nearly screamed as he pushed back in, slow still but faster than before. She felt tears leak from her eyes and she took hold of the dildo, pumping it in and out as fast as she could to try and stem the pain that was making her want to stop. Grimmjow kept going faster, the tightness of her ass around him pushing him on. The pain slowly went away and pleasure started to replace it. The feeling of two cocks filling her made her want to cum but she held it in as Grimmjow reached around her and grabbed her breasts, playing with her nipples.

"Oh Grimmjow," Nel moaned and collapsed flat onto the bed, Grimmjow laid down on top of her and continued to thrust, now as fast and hard as he could, as he took the dildo and fucked her just as fast and hard. Unable to breath, unable to speak, and even unable to swallow she laid there on the bed and took both holes filled as she drooled on the pillow, her eyes half closed. She couldn't even scream this time as her biggest orgasm of her life, and that was saying something with Grimmjow in her, rocked her body until she thought she would pass out. She lay on the bed panting as Grimmjow finished and shot his load into her ass. The feeling of hot cum in her ass made her cum again and Grimmjow collapsed onto her, spent and tired, and slowly pulled his cock and the dildo from her before he fell asleep on top of her; Nel was already passed out.

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Grimmjow stood next to Nel's horse holding Nel tightly in his arms. Rukia was already sitting on her horse, pointedly ignoring Ichigo as he said goodbye to his sisters. Grimmjow and Nel shared one last kiss before she climbed onto her horse and wiped the tears away. As the twins climbed onto their horses Ichigo turned to see Urahara walking towards them with three soldiers leading horses.

"Ichigo," Kisuke bowed to him and Ichigo bowed back. "These are the soldiers I promised. Kurodo, Noba, and Lirin," each of the three bowed low when they were introduced.

"Any specialties?" Ichigo asked and Kisuke nodded.

"All of them are mages and have perfected certain abilities. Noba can transport anyone to a location he has been to before. Kurodo can use magic to cloak his appearance and make himself look like another, though it doesn't last more than an hour or two. Lirin can create illusions, through their minds, to trick her enemies."

"They will be welcome additions to the party. Thank you Kisuke," Ichigo said and Kisuke nodded once and bowed.

"Thank you Ichigo," Kisuke licked his lips as he rose. "If I may be excused now, I have a few inventions that may be of use to us if I can perfect them enough," Ichigo waved his hand and Kisuke nodded once and left quickly.

"Get ready, you leave in a few minutes," Ichigo said and walked away quickly. Grimmjow gave one last kiss to Nel and followed Ichigo to the top of the wall at the right side of the gate.

"Is something wrong Ichigo?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo nodded.

"Get all Captains up and ready. The enemy is here," he said and Grimmjow looked at him.

"The Table?" Ichigo nodded.

"I expect them here within the hour," Grimmjow nodded and rushed into the palace. He passed Toshiro in the hall as he was heading out to say goodbye to Karin.

"Captain, where are the Captains quarters?" he shouted as he ran past.

"Down the hall to the left third door on the right!" Toshiro shouted as Grimmjow ran out of sight. Grimmjow followed the directions as he looked for the door. When he found it he opened the door and burst into the room where all the Captains were still sleeping.

"My Lord Captains! The Emperor has called you to arms. He says the enemy is upon us soon!" The few remaining Captains jumped out of bed and rushed around the room getting weapons and armor. Grimmjow ran back outside and saw Ichigo and Toshiro watching the small party leaving as well more people with carts for supplies.

"Ichigo! The Captains are up and on their way out," Ichigo raised a hand in acknowledgement as he said something to Toshiro before walking over to the gate. One by one the other Captains walked outside alert and ready, they were followed by their Lieutenants.

"Captains! Lieutenants! The hour of battle is upon us! Get your Divisions together and prepare for battle!Kira, since you are without a Division and there are Divisions without Captains you are promoted to Captain. Kira will command Komamura's Division. Division 4 will stay in the fortress and help with the wounded. Divisions 1 and 2 will take the wall and the pass, the remaining Divisions will take the area behind the wall. I will not lie to you men; this will be the last stand. We hold here, we die here, we have victory here," the Captains and Lieutenants stood and watched him silently. They waited patiently as Ichigo watched them. They held fear on most of their faces and more than one had bandages somewhere on their bodies. Kenpachi was being supported by two of his soldiers, one with a bald head and the other with shit coming out of his eyebrows, as Yachiru stood close by.

"This will not be pretty. Many will die, many already have. The rest of the land is against us. There is an army out there that is bigger than us and will stop at nothing to destroy us all. Get the men together and get them all to their stations," he turned around and walked up to the top of the wall and looked down the pass. Grimmjow joined him and watched with him.

"Sir?"

"They are here Grimm. I looked at the table this morning. I'm surprised that we haven't heard the-" a horn sounded down the pass just as the first men marched from the fortress gates and started to line up. Ichigo turned and the men stood at attention. It took a few minutes before they were all there and lined up before Ichigo began.

"The enemy is here. At this moment they are walking down the pass to come kill us. I will not remind you how important this is. If we lose here then our race is dead, along with every 'Dark Race' from the stories of the humans. Fight to your last; take as many as you can with you. Give them everything you have and take from them their lives. Captains you know your orders, get the men into position," the Captains quickly started to give orders and men rushed to obey. Ichigo stood on the wall and watched the pass intently for a moment before Grimmjow tugged on his shoulder.

"Are you going into battle with just cloth sir? Or do you want me to take you in and get your armor on?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo looked at him.

"You're missing your armor too," Ichigo said and Grimmjow smiled lightly.

"They can't kill me Ichigo. My heart and soul are on the way to her mother's. No enemy can kill me today," Grimmjow said and Ichigo nodded once.

"I would feel better if my Lieutenant had on his armor," Ichigo said as he stared down the pass.

"And I would feel better if my friend had on his," Grimmjow replied and walked quickly down the wooden stairs by the gate. Ichigo nodded and then followed him, Yachiru walking up to him.

"Emperor, have you seen Byakuya?" Yachiru asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"I'm sorry Yachiru, I haven't seen him since the ambush. Maybe he got away, I didn't see him among the dead. Get to your position now Yachiru," Yachiru bowed and walked away. Ichigo stopped next to Yamamoto.

"The men do not fire until I give the order," Ichigo said. "Or if there is a dragon in the air," Yamamoto nodded and watched the gate as Ichigo came back inside and went to his rooms where Grimmjow was waiting. Ichigo stood there and stripped down to his small clothes before Grimmjow slowly and carefully placed his armor on.

"Grimmjow?" Grimmjow gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "Did I do the right thing sending her away? Am I doing the right thing by staying here to defend a place with little food and harsh winter conditions year round? Do you think we will win this battle? This war?"

"In order of your questions; yes and no, yes, no, and no," he said.

"What do you mean Grimm?" Ichigo asked as Grimmjow tied the chest guard at the back.

"On which one sir?"

"All of them."

"Well, maybe it was good to send her away, keep her form danger. At the same time you should have asked her first, not just done it. As for staying here, well this is the best place that we could stay; if we had stayed at Central 46 we would have died. It takes 13 full Divisions to hold Central, and we didn't even have 11 full Divisions. Staying here was the smartest move. I don't think we can win this battle, there are too many attacking here and not enough food to keep our people fed. Can we win the war; same answer for same reason. We go up against too many people. When a smaller more experienced army goes against a large army of less experienced but extremely determined men the more determined enemy will win if not whittled down," Grimmjow finished with Ichigo's armor and stood back. "You're ready sir."

"Thank you," Ichigo nodded and turned to him. "May the dragon spirits of your ancestors watch over you and protect you always," Ichigo said and placed his right hand over his heart, his left on Grimmjow's shoulder.

"And may your ancestors watch over you my Lord," Grimmjow replied with the same hand gesture.

"Now let's go pick a fight," Ichigo grinned and Grimmjow nodded solemnly.

**Remember, reviews are welcome :) hope you enjoyed it.**


	18. The Long Awaited Battle

**Well here is the chapter full of war, I might make another chapter from other points of view but I'm not sure yet. This one is 8 pages long, and I'm working on 19 now, so I'll finish up 19 within the next few days and either start on 20 or fix up mindcrime more to get it ready. Ive been lucky so far not to have been deleted, but I still keep my fingers crossed.**

**Here are the reviewers.**

**To BlackHeart1723- haha cold shoulder :P he sleeps in the cold lol**

**To Rukes- well hot damn! Youre back! Yes it has, it's been too long…and if I go missing that long again I'll have to hunt myself down lol, yes all has been going well with me so far this year **

**To haeye- thank you for that notice, I went back and fixed the chapter as soon as I saw that**

**To quietreaper- yes they do know how to get it on, as for Rukia…well we shall see what happens with her…in chapter 19.**

**To Insane Fangirl 4- yes, I couldn't for the life of me remember their names…but I bet everyone knows who I'm talking about yes? As for yachiru and byakuya well, I'm still working on that one lol**

**To BlackWhiteZangetsu- lol, yes I here that about you bro, can't wait till you get back and start reading again. :P good luck on your trip.**

**Disclaimer- Don't own Bleach…never did…never will…kinda don't…I'm just happy to write about it…and lucky**

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There was a loud smack as an arrow hit the wood right next to Ichigo's face. He ducked and the man behind him fell backwards off the wall as an arrow pierced his throat. Ichigo nocked an arrow and stood up, drawing the string back to his ear and releasing it in one swift motion. He watched one of the men pushing the battering ram fall before he ducked down again. More arrows came from behind him and flew over the wall into the crowd of men. Ichigo nocked another arrow and did the same as before, watching one of the majors fall off his horse, three arrows in his chest. He ducked down and jumped off the wall as he saw Grimmjow run over to him.

"Captain!"

"Lieutenant," he nodded as Grimmjow stopped in front of him.

"Captain the men above are running out of arrows and bolts," he said and Ichigo looked up to the walls of the pass as arrows rained down from the trenches.

"Take arrows and bolts from the men down here. We have plenty of both from the enemy firing at us. How are they doing on oil for the fires and spears for the ballista?" Ichigo asked and Grimmjow shrugged.

"Okay on both I guess. There aren't many wounded either, the dragons that have been making scouting passes grab men when they can but most of them die so they've stopped with the scouting. The food stores are the worst sir. We've been here for three days and even though the parties come back every night laden with food it's not enough to keep up. We're reaching the end of the stores. I give it another four days at the least before we're out."

"That will be long enough. Urahara has been talking at the Captain's table about a new powder he's been working on. He said that it burns really fast and explodes if its kept in a closed space. Hopefully he will get this new weapon perfected and we can escape here," Ichigo said and Grimmjow nodded.

"Sir I think if we let a few Divisions push through we can push Tosen's forces back through the pass allowing us to repair the wood walls and give us time to make more ammunition."

"No, we will not do that, Grimmjow. We need all Divisions here in case they break through. Even if we send some of them out what if they are all killed? We just have that many fewer men to defend. Keep them in reserve for now," Ichigo climbed back up the wall as Tosen's men pulled back a few hundred feet and waited, shields raised to protect them from arrows. They took the dead with them so that the ground wouldn't be clogged as they tried to advance the next time.

"Men! This is three days! Three days since they started, two days we have held out! Let's keep them back now for a third time! They have nothing on us! Give them hell!" Ichigo turned back to the pass and watched as the men slowly marched forward, a heavily armored soldier leading the way. "Draw! Loose!" arrows flew towards the mass of men but they stopped midair and fell to the ground.

"Mages!" he heard the shouts go up and he licked his lips as fire engulfed the armored soldier's hands and he shook his head.

"Battle mage!"

"Oh fuck," Ichigo watched as the mage raised his hands and he looked up. A rock tumbled from high over the pass and fell towards the mage who looked up. Ichigo looked up and then made a split second decision. He drew Zangetsu and vaulted over the wall. He landed on the ground and heard a shout go up as he sprinted towards the mage who made the rock explode and turned to him. Ichigo jumped into the air and swung the sword down; the mage caught the sword with his left hand and his right arm drew back. He punched Ichigo in the face and he flew back, his ass hitting the ground.

"Ow," Ichigo muttered as the mage walked forward. Ichigo felt blood running down his extremely sore face and touched his head. He winced in pain and wiped the blood from around his eyes. He raised his sword as the mage drew his battle axe. The axe came down and Ichigo blocked it before he planted his foot on the man's chest and pushed. Ichigo did a flip in midair and landed, rushing at the mage as he raised his sword again. Ichigo dodged around the axe and slashed at the stomach. There was a screech of metal on metal and the man spun quickly, landing a roundhouse kick on Ichigo's back.

Ichigo stood up more slowly this time and leaned on his sword. He turned and ran at the mage again, ducking under the swing and putting as much force behind his punch as he could. The mage flew backwards and hit the ground. Ichigo cradled his broken left hand as the mage slowly got to his feet. The battle had already seemed like hours, though it was only about a minute old. Ichigo ignored the pain in his hand and ducked the next swing, jumping between his legs and kicking backwards, throwing the mage forward. Ichigo jumped on his back and pulled on the helmet as hard as he could before it finally came off. The mage stood and hit Ichigo in the face with his elbow as Ichigo stumbled away from him, the helmet in his hands.

Ichigo watched as the mage advanced on him and he took a deep breath into his crushed chest and let out a long tongue of fire. The fire burned across the ground and past the mage who held up a hand as if to stop the torrent of liquid fire. No one could see the mage through the fire and they cheered their leader in victory. Ichigo felt a burning sensation around his throat and the fire was cut off as the mage reached through the fire and took Ichigo by the throat, lifting him off the ground.

Ichigo kicked as hard as he could between his legs and was rewarded with a sharp gasp and air into his lungs as he was released. Ichigo rolled away and hobbled towards the gate on his crippled leg. The mage stumbled towards him slowly, the heavy armor making his steps short and slow. Ichigo stood up and spun around, plunging the sword through his chest to the hilt. As the mage hit his knees, blood running from the corners of his mouth Ichigo swung his sword. Blood spurted up from his neck like a fountain as his head went rolling across the blood soaked ground. Ichigo shuffled backwards and looked up to see the enemy charge forward. Arrows poured into them, the first two or three lines falling fast as arrows took them in the chests and faces.

"Ichigo!" he looked over his shoulder to see Grimmjow and Ulquiorra running towards him, more men flooding past them and making a line as Grimmjow and Ulquiorra took Ichigo back inside. The others slowly pulled back until the gates were closed, trapping some of Tosen's men on the inside to be quickly cut down and added to the pile of burning dead bodies. More arrows rained down into the mass of men as arrows flew over the wall into the courtyard. Ichigo limped to the fortress gate supported by Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. They sat him down in the hall just inside the door and Unohana strode up to him almost instantly.

"Oh Emperor," Unohana sighed as she ran her hands over his head then cupped his face and pushed her magic into him, slowly healing his injuries. Ichigo blinked and gasped as all his bones snapped back into place. Ichigo sat there for a moment, staring at the wall, as Grimmjow spoke to Unohana. Ulquiorra touched Grimmjow's shoulder and then bowed to Unohana and Ichigo before he ran back into the courtyard. Ichigo was barely aware of men running through the gate carrying arrows, bolts, and spears.

"Grimmjow, help me up," Ichigo raised his arms and Grimmjow hesitated for a moment before he grabbed Ichigo and hauled him to his feet.

"Alright sir, let's go," he wrapped Ichigo's arm around his shoulders and helped him back into the courtyard where the men cheered. Kenpachi walked up to them and nodded.

"Ichigo," Ichigo looked up at him and noticed an eye patch over his eye. "Ah, lost this in the ambush," Kenpachi grinned. "Now I have an even bigger challenge while fighting. This will be fun."

"Carefully Kenpachi. We still have a long way to go," Ichigo slowly stood up straight and stretched. "We need to keep it on them. We need-"

"Dragon Warrior Captain Ichigo Kurosaki! We have someone here you may want to see," Ichigo walked towards the gate and slowly climbed the ladder. He stared out at the pass and saw a man kneeling on the newest round of dead bodies, head bowed. The blood around the bodies rippled slightly as he rocked from side to side to keep his knees from hurting. Ichigo shook his head at the red hair that hung around his face. His shirtless body was covered in cuts that bled freely in some placed while others looked partly healed. His hands were bloody and turning purple.

"Renji," Ichigo sighed and Renji looked up at him. His eyes were black and swollen shut, his nose black from frostbite and his lips blue from the cold. Aizen smiled from where he stood behind Renji.

"Will you save him Ichigo? Give us Rukia and we will let him go," Renji shook his head and Ichigo shook his too.

"Too late Aizen. She escaped here three days ago, just before your attack. She's long gone and no one will tell you where she is," Ichigo said and Aizen shook his head.

"I'm sorry Renji," Aizen said and raised his sword high and flipped it point down. Suddenly an arrow struck Aizen under the arm between two ribs just as he stabbed down. Aizen let out a scream as his arm came down on the arrow, snapping it in half as his sword plunged deep into Renji's shoulder, down between his neck and shoulder, through his heart and lung and stopped in the hip bone. Renji opened his mouth to scream, but was dead before he could draw a breath. Blood poured from his mouth and ran down his chin as Aizen fell back. Gin ran forward with men behind him raising shields high to block the arrows as he grabbed Aizen. Renji's head bowed forward as his body stayed kneeling. One of the soldiers, a man with a white eye patch over his eye and carrying a long staff with two semicircle blades attached to the end, took hold of the sword handle and dragged it from Renji's body without any effort. He placed his foot on Renji's upper back and pushed it down so his body lay sprawled on the dead bodies before he went to rejoin the lines.

* * *

Grimmjow rushed up the stone stairs to the left of the wall, a bow in his hands and a quiver on his back. He ran down the lowest trench and stopped when he was even with Aizen and Renji. Ichigo was shouting something to Aizen and then Aizen started shouting back. Aizen raised his sword and the soldiers in the trench watched as Grimmjow, in one swift motion, took and arrow from the quiver, nocked it, drew it to his ear, and released the string. The arrow flew through the air quickly, lodging itself in Aizen's ribs.

"Come on men," Grimmjow drew another arrow back and fired it, the men next to him fired as well. Arrows rained down in the pass as the enemy charged forward. Grimmjow took careful aim at Aizen and released the string; the arrow flew through the air, the tip bobbing up and down as it cut through the air. The arrow struck a soldier in the head as he passed by Aizen. Aizen ducked and then passed beyond Grimmjow's range.

"Grimmjow, sir," one of the soldiers pointed to a second battle mage. "There is a ballista on the level above," Grimmjow nodded and ran down the trench, firing quick arrows as he ran. He got to the end of the line and turned quickly on the stone, nearly slipping as the rocks were slightly wet. He ran up the stairs to the second trench and down the trench towards the ballista.

"Move!" Grimmjow shouted and the men stepped away as he slid to a stop. "Everyone aim at mage!" he took careful aim down the ballista sight and pulled the trigger. The rope catch lowered and the taut rope snapped forward, propelling the spear forward. The ground behind the wall exploded from fireballs and a dragon flew above the mage, just in time to take the spear to the neck. The spear went through the dragon's neck and hit the mage's shield a split second before the dragon hit the dragon and lines of men. The dragon slid into the wall, killing most of the men it had landed on.

"Reload!" Grimmjow shouted and moved to the side to allow the others to reload the weapon. As soon as it was reloaded Grimmjow stepped behind it again, waiting patiently as arrows and fireballs were exchanged between the men on the walls and the men in the pass. The battle mage slowly pushed the dragon away and then stepped onto the neck of the dead dragon. Grimmjow fired again and was rewarded with the spear taking the mage in the chest, pinning him to the stone wall.

"Good shot sir," one of the men said and Grimmjow nodded before he let the men take over the weapon again. Grimmjow ducked as arrows flew over the wall. Men from below fired their bows and crossbows up at the trenches, trying to kill the men killing them. There was a sudden roar and Grimmjow looked up to see a dragon coming at them.

"Everyone down!" he shouted and jumped towards the stairs, his face banging onto the stone. He landed on the top step and turned quickly, sliding down the stairs on his back. He heard the dragon breathe fire and rolled away from the mouth of the door as fire rolled down the stairs and through the opening, boiling the blood and crisping the men who didn't get away. Grimmjow stood up slowly, wiping the blood from his nose. He walked up the blackened stairs slowly, breathing in the horrid smell of burnt flesh. He reached the top of the stairs and hid as another dragon flew overhead, breathing fire onto the trench below before being shot down by arrows below and above. He groaned when he saw the charred black bodies, the smoke still drifted of the bodies. He walked to the edge of the trench, looking down to see the battle raging below him. Tosen's men were trying to climb the wall and break down the gate, but were being beaten back slowly.

Grimmjow rushed down the stairs as quickly as he could, drawing his sword on the way. He ran out from the door by the wall and ducked a sword, slashing forward, cutting the man across the stomach. Grimmjow stood up and ran forward along the base of the wall. A man jumped down and landed in front of Grimmjow, swinging his sword down. Grimmjow went down on his right knee, blocking the strike. Grimmjow leaned sharply to the right and jumped up and forward, the sword going through the soldier's throat to the hilt and slashed right, ripping out the left side of his neck as Grimmjow pulled it free and kept running. A fireball landed close by, throwing men and dirt around and making Grimmjow stumble. The sky darkened for a moment and he looked up, ducking behind the wall as arrows and a dragon flew overhead. Men screamed as arrows pelted them, injuring or killing those not hiding behind shields. A group of them were thrown around like toys by a kid as the dragon shot another fireball down. The archers hit the dragon in the wings; the dragon roared in pain and slammed into the side of the mountain, changing back as he fell to the ground hundreds of feet below; his body splattered across the ground.

"Ichigo!" Grimmjow shouted as the men mixed on the wall. Ichigo dropped down and grabbed Grimmjow's sleeve.

"I saw the dragon. You okay?" Grimmjow nodded. "What about the men?" they started walking towards the fortress gates, ducking as fireballs exploded around them.

"All dead on the first and second level. I don't know about three and four though sir," Grimmjow answered and they stopped and Ichigo looked around.

"Alright, I'll get men from the 13th division up there to-" there was a loud bang and Grimmjow was thrown to his right. He hit the ground and felt a stinging pain on his left side. He lay on the ground for a moment, his ears ringing as he clutched his head in pain. He looked around and watched as a man was blown apart by a fireball, his blood boiled before any could be released. Grimmjow slowly pushed himself to his knees, his ears still ringing from the blast. He looked to his left and saw a crater close to where he and Ichigo had been standing. Grimmjow slowly stood up and limped towards the wooden wall, blood running down the left side of his face and his left arm.

He watched as more men were thrown around from explosions and killed by arrows. The ringing in his ears slowly subsided and the screams of men took its place. He watched as Tosen's men pushed over the walls and went to try to open the gates. Some of them were cut down by arrows, others by swords and spears. Grimmjow felt a tug on his right arm and he turned quickly, raising his arm to attack before he saw Ichigo.

"Almost got me," Ichigo said and handed Grimmjow his sword before he smiled. Ichigo fell to his knees and Grimmjow went to his to grab hold of Ichigo.

"Medic!" he screamed and two members from the 4th Division came up to them.

"We'll get him sir," Grimmjow nodded and then stood up, turning in time to see Kenpachi walking up to him.

"Shall I send out men to push them back?"

"No Ken. Just push them off the walls. We need to stay back, just push them off the walls. Kenpachi nodded and ran towards the wall sword raised high above his head as his men rushed forward to push Tosen's men back. Grimmjow watched as the Dragon Warriors retook the walls with cheers. Grimmjow smiled and looked down at his left arm, surprised to see his hand burned and damaged, as well as blood from a wound to his shoulder.

"Grimmjow! Ichigo!" Aizen called out to them. Grimmjow limped over to the wall and climbed it as quick as he could. When he got to the top he saw Aizen standing there with Gin supporting him.

"What do you want traitor?" Grimmjow called out.

"I need a medic; this arrow wound is going to kill me if I don't get it healed. In return for one of your medics healing me I'll give you and your men a break from the fighting."

"As long as you let yourself be healed right there were we can see you," Aizen nodded.

"Very well," Grimmjow motioned to Unohana who nodded and sent one of her healers to the gate.

"We will cover you," Grimmjow said and the healer nodded shakily before he went through the gate and over to Aizen. Grimmjow looked around and watched as the men were sitting down, waiting to be healed. Most of the healers were shuffling around, too tired to even stand but still trying to heal those wounded. He watched sadly as the men, many of them missing hands or arms or had bandages covering most of their bodies, were preparing themselves for battle. He climbed down the ladder and walked towards the pass where Nel gone.

"Grimmjow?" he heard a voice call out to him and he stared straight into the pass.

"Nel?" his eyes widened and he took a step forward as Nel stepped out of the shadows of the pass. He walked over to her and reached out to grab her in a hug. "Nel, I thought you were going back to your mom's," he said and took a deep breath.

"I was but I wanted to come back and see you. I managed to sneak away in the middle of the night. I missed you Grimmjow," she said and Grimmjow nodded.

"I know Nel, I know," he shoved his sword through her stomach.

"Grimmjow?" Nel stumbled back, Grimmjow's sword bloody all the way to the hilt. Nel started flickering, her hair color changing her breasts growing smaller, her eyes changing, until a black haired short girl was standing there. "How did you know?"

"Two reasons. When Nel says she misses me she calls me Grimm or Grimmy bear. And she has a certain smell to her, and no one can copy that, especially to a dragon's nose," Grimmjow said and the woman smiled, blood running from her nose and mouth.

"Ah, good reasons," she said and collapsed. Grimmjow stared at her for a second before he cleaned his sword and slipped it back into its scabbard. He started walking towards the gate when he heard a faint call from the pass. He walked towards the pass and stared down it, the sun didn't reach the floor and it was as dark at night.

"Ichigo!" Grimmjow limped towards the fortress as Ichigo ran up to meet him.

"What is it Grimm?"

"I heard a noise down the pass where Nel went, and a Replicator just showed up. I think we need to go check it out."

"Okay, take Ulquiorra and go check it all it. First get healed though, we don't need you collapsing from blood lose and pain," Grimmjow nodded and walked over to Unohana who shook her head.

"Really Grimmjow? Again?" Grimmjow shrugged and Unohana placed her hands on his head and pushed her healing into him. Ulquiorra walked up to him as he shook off the exhaustion.

"Ready?" Grimmjow nodded and took a torch.

"Let's go," he and Ulquiorra walked over to the pass as the men rushed around them, preparing themselves for another fight. Ichigo was standing on top of the wall, watching the enemy closely. Grimmjow stopped at the mouth of the pass and took a deep breath before nodding and walking into the pass, Ulquiorra right behind. The light from the torches didn't reach far ahead, and they constantly stumbled over rocks. Grimmjow didn't know how long they had been walking, but both of their stomachs started to growl and they sat down to make camp. Grimmjow didn't know why they were going this far, but something kept pulling him forward.

* * *

Ichigo watched closely as Aizen stood up slowly, the healer backing away. Aizen stretched his arm and felt his side, smiling softly. He nodded to the healer who turned and started walking quickly back to the gate. Aizen stared up at Ichigo for a long moment before motioned to his soldiers.

"Your reprieve is over. Fire!" Aizen shouted and arrows flew up and over the walls. Men ducked behind large shields and the walls to keep from being hit, though some men fell from arrows. Ichigo looked over the wall and saw the healer lying face down in the snow, arrows in his back. Ichigo drew back an arrow as the men rushed past Aizen.

"Fire! Return fire!" Ichigo released the string and the arrow struck a man in the neck, dropping him to the ground. More and more of Aizen's men rushed across the frozen ground red with blood. Some men were slipping and falling on the mix of ice and blood even as others were being shot down. A dragon flew overhead before crashing down into Ichigo's men huddled behind the small stone walls. Tosen's men reached the base of the wall and started climbing. Ichigo drew back on the bow and grinned at the man who stuck his head over the side. He stared at Ichigo who released the string, and the man's head snapped back as the arrow passed through his eye and came out the back of his skull with a crack. Ichigo threw the bow behind him and drew his sword, stabbing the next man in the chest, pulling the sword free as another man climbed over the wall next to him. Ichigo blocked the man's sword and then cut him across the neck. As blood ran down his chest Ichigo turned and slashed a man from his right shoulder to his left hip, watching as he fell back over the wall. Suddenly the gate exploded in a ball of fire, parts of the wall going with it. Ichigo turned and saw men rushing through the gap, charging into the men behind the stone walls. Spears and swords clashed below as men started jumping off the walls trying to fight their way back to the group. Tosen's men started to rush up the stairs to the trenches even as arrows kept falling into the army.

Ichigo felt a string of fire light up his back and he screamed in pain. Turning and stabbing the man who cut his back open in the stomach and kicking him over the wall. Ichigo stabbed a man in the chest, blood running down his armor as his heart pumped blood from his body. He looked around and saw his men getting cut down by the fresh troops.

"Men to me! To me!" he shouted and the men on the walls started to work their way over to him, cutting down the enemy that were in their way. One of the men was thrown from the wall, changing into a dragon before he hit the ground. As the dragon rolled over onto his feet he let loose a stream of fire, burning men in the pass. He took off and flew down the pass, breathing fire into the men to try and slow them down. Another dragon flew into him and started an air battle as Ichigo turned to the men next to him.

"Cut your way to our lines! Leave no enemy standing before you!" he shouted and picked up two spears as he put his sword away. The others did the same, all of them stabbing down into the men below them to make room to jump down. As soon as they had enough room they jumped down and started to stab and slash at the men around them with the naginatas. Ichigo stabbed one man in the back, leaving the spear in him when he couldn't pull it back out easily. Ichigo then stepped forward as the soldier in front of him turned to face him. The soldier caught the naginata in the face, falling back as one of his eyes popped from its socket. Ichigo and his men fought towards the fortress, losing men as they went. Suddenly a hole opened up and Ichigo and the remaining men were face to face with the remnants of the Dragon Warriors who moved so Ichigo could get through, then closed up behind them.

"Emperor," Yamamoto walked up to him, his chest bared to the air, his scars purple in the cold.

"Captain, why don't you go get warm?" Ichigo asked and Yamamoto shook his head.

"No, we have to push them back sir," Ichigo nodded and looked over to Kenpachi who was standing there with Yachiru and the two men who had been supporting Kenpachi earlier.

"Kenpachi! Now it's your turn," Ichigo shouted and Kenpachi grinned widely.

"It's about time, Ichigo," he said and raised his sword. "Kill them all! Victory or death!" Kenpachi shouted and he and his men charged through the lines and into the enemy lines, slashing every direction with their weapons, cutting down the enemy as they ran towards the walls. As soon as the enemy was cleared from the lines the other men ran to the gate to try and patch it up as the 11th Division charged down the pass.

"Ichigo," Urahara walked over to him with something in his hand.

"What is it Kisuke?" he asked and Kisuke held up a stick with a string coming out of the top.

"This sir, is what I've been working on," he handed Ichigo the stick and he looked at, eyebrows raised.

"Well what is it?" he asked again and Kisuke took the stick back.

"This is a tube with the explosive black powder I've been working on. You stuff as much as you can into the tube and seal both ends shut. You light this fuse and throw it. When the fire eats the fuse up and reaches the powder, boom," Urahara smiled and Ichigo sighed.

"We have enough explosions with fireballs. Why do we need this?" he asked and tossed the stick back to Urahara who caught it with a sad look on his face. Ichigo walked to the walls and looked down the pass, the blood that covered the ground was slowly soaking into his leather boots. "Toshiro!"

"Yes sir?"

"Take a damage report. I want to know all our loses," Toshiro bowed and walked away. "Yamamoto!" he walked over to the Head Captain and stared at him for a moment."

"What do you need Emperor?"

"Get all the men together, prepare to leave through the passes. Let every man know what we will leave in groups. They are to make their way to their homes, or to human cities. They are to act as humans. Tell them to stay hidden, we will find them when we are ready to fight back. Tell them to wage a silent war on Tosen, to speak against him, but to stay as hidden as possible. We must keep up as much strength as we can to defeat Tosen. I will start seeing to assassins to see if we can maybe kill him."

"Yes sir. I'll spread the news," Yamamoto walked off and Ichigo walked over the gate, watching as the 11th Division kept pushing forward. A huge fireball came roaring out of the clouds and right at Ichigo.

"Fuck!" Ichigo jumped to the side as the fireball hit the ground next to him. Ichigo flew into the wall, his head hitting the wood with a crack and he landed on the ground, the world around him going dark as pain enveloped him.

* * *

**Well there it is, i may write post Ichigo knockout with other points of view...like Kenpachi or Toshiro for instance...or ill go forward**

**Reviews are welcome guys :)**


	19. Abandon All Hope?

**Well, I finally finished chapter 19, took me awhile to get my thoughts together but here it is. Fanfiction has stopped emailing me so I have no idea who the new reviewers are, I know there are reviews because I looked at them, but without email I wont be able to know where they started and where they ended, so let me just say thank you to all my reviewers and i hope you'll keep reviewing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any characters whatsoever.**

* * *

Ichigo awoke to the sound of hoof beats on stone. He slowly opened his eyes to the blinding light, and found himself staring into the clear blue sky, a few thin white clouds floating lazily through the air. The sun stared down at him, its warm gaze heating him slowly from his warm skin to his freezing bones. He felt himself jump a bit and realized he was moving while lying down. The soft clack of hooves on stone brought him back to his senses as he looked around. He looked towards his feet and saw tall mountains with snow covering the top, and a long line of people stretched out in front of him. Most of them had wrappings covering wounds, looking defeated; even those few who carried spears or bows. A few of the people had horses which were laden down with packs and had carts behind them.

Ichigo looked around and saw the hills and fields around him moving slowly, the grass and wheat waving softly in the wind. He took a shallow breath and looked over his shoulder, trying to look past the horse that was dragging his litter. The little bounced softly again as one of the edges hit a stone. He felt a pain flare in his left side and he looked down to see his left arm, upper left leg, and whole torso wrapped in bandages. He couldn't move his arm at all it hurt so much, and he stifled a groan as he tried to move it, gasping in pain as the bandages over his left ribs, his upper left leg, and his stomach started to turn crimson. He licked his lips, but his tongue was as dry as a desert.

"Ichigo!" he looked to his right and saw Nel sitting on a horse, staring at him. "Hold on," she gasped and rode towards the back of the line, calling for Unohana.

"Oh God Ichigo," Grimmjow rode up next to him from the front of the line and shook his head. "Unohana isn't going to be happy," he looked back and saw Nel riding towards them with Unohana on the horse behind her.

"I told you to not let him move. He's torn open the wounds god damn it," Unohana scolded roughly as she jumped off the horse and touched Ichigo's head, quickly taking her hand away with a hiss. "And he's got a fever; he's burning up real bad. Get this thing over to the side, we can't wait any longer," she said and Nel grabbed the horse's reins, dragging the horse over to the side of the road as Grimmjow argued with Unohana.

"Tosen's men are right behind us, we cannot stop now," Grimmjow growled and Unohana shook her head.

"And Ichigo has a high fever; you can feel it without even putting your hand on his head. Damn it Grimmjow look at the bandages! He's bleeding bad, blood is already running from underneath them, and those are thick bandages made to stop heavy bleeding. If we don't stop now and fix him up as best we can he won't make it to Nel's mother's house."

"Fine, but make it quick. I won't have us caught by Tosen's men. He wheeled the horse around to find someone as Nel came back to Unohana's side, the horse and litter now sitting in the ditch.

"Nel, I want you to help me cut off the bandages and help me patch up this idiot here," Nel nodded and pulled her long hair back into a ponytail before bending over Ichigo with a knife, cutting his bloody bandages loose. Ichigo could feel the fever starting to fry his brain, and he blinked a few times, trying to get his mouth wet.

"Here Ichigo, this will help with the dryness," Unohana gave him a water skin and he drank deeply from it, the ice cold water burning his parched throat all the way to his stomach. He found that he could think better with some fluids in his system and he looked down, and nearly cried out in sorrow. The bandages were all gone now and he could see his wounds for the first time. His left arm was burned almost from his finger tips to his shoulder; the blackened flesh was shriveled and dry. His left leg was torn open from an inch above the knee to two inches below his hips. He could see the bone in his leg, the muscle ripped open and swollen. The bone was covered in dry congealed blood, a horrid smell of infected flesh hitting him hard, making him choke back his bile. His ribs and stomach were no better than his leg. Huge gashes along his stomach as him looking down into his organs, and the flesh had been burned away from his ribs and halfway across his chest, the bones burned black like the tissue around them, the blood from his lung and ruptured blood vessels running down his side. He took a breath and watched his damaged lung try to inflate itself, but failing miserably to take in as much as it should have been able to.

"We need to hurry Nel, the magic I pumped into him didn't last as long as I had hoped. Too many bumps in the road and him waking up undid all I had done to stop his death back in the mountain. We must hurry or he won't make it," Ichigo looked to his right and saw the line of people passing, Grimmjow rode down from that line, Kenpachi riding towards the front as a few other soldiers on horses kept ushering the refugees along.

"Oh god, it all reopened?" he asked and Unohana nodded.

"Yes, and I don't think he'll make it unless we start the healing process now," she said and Grimmjow rode back to the line, calling for healers. "Nel, I need your help. I'll teach you a quick way to heal. Are you ready?"

"Yes," she answered and nodded.

"Good, focus good thoughts into your head. Happy thoughts, it will power the magic you need. When you have it nod," Nel nodded after a short moment. "Now, place your hands on his stomach as that is the closest wound to you that is the worst. Take those happy thoughts and fuel your magic with them, now remember how Ichigo looked the last time you saw him, how his body looked, how you remember it. Take your magic push it into him, slowly so you don't kill him by healing him too fast. It takes his energy to heal as well as yours. Now when you have the image push all your magic into his stomach," Nel nodded and then stopped.

"What if I don't do it right? What if I make it worse?" she asked and Unohana touched her cheek.

"Have faith in yourself. You're strong Nel, you can do anything you want if you believe you can," Nel looked down at Ichigo, sweat running down her face and Ichigo nodded.

"I have faith in you Nel," he gasped roughly, his mouth going dry again. She nodded and did as Unohana said, pushing her magic into Ichigo who gasped and tried to scream in pain as his stomach started to stitch itself shut. The air left his lungs and he felt like he was going to suffocate. The pain was unbearable and Ichigo started begging his ancestors to take him so the pain would stop. The process seemed to last for hours until his back hit the litter. He looked over at Nel to his right and saw Grimmjow holding her.

"She'll be fine Grimmjow, she just needs to rest," Unohana said and Grimmjow nodded softly before he picked her up and set her on the horse, climbing up behind her. Ichigo then realized that two other healers had joined Unohana and then realized that while Nel healed his stomach the others had healed his leg and ribs and were now wrapping new bandages around his leg and arm before they helped him sit up and wrapping more bandages around his torso again.

"How is he?" he heard a familiar voice ask and he looked up to see a shadow cross over him, but the sun in his eyes blocked the face. Ichigo lifted his head a bit, his body tightening up as he tried to get a look at the face.

"He'll be fine when he gets some rest and we get enough time to heal him completely," Unohana answered and the shadow shook his head.

"That's not good enough. I want to ask him some questions," the man moved enough to block the sun, and Ichigo groaned and went limp.

"Hello Ichigo."

"Hello Byakuya," Ichigo answered as the black haired man stared down at him.

"Where is Rukia?" he asked and Ichigo shrugged. "She's probably at Nel's mother's house with Nel and-" he stopped talking when he realized that Nel was with them, not at her mother's. "Wait, what the hell?"

"Where is my sister?" Byakuya asked again and Ichigo shrugged his good shoulder.

"I don't know," he said.

"Where?"

"I don't know!" Ichigo screamed. "I've been unconscious! I don't know how long I've been on the road. Look at me Byakuya! Look at me! Does it look like I've been on my feet at all?" Byakuya drew his sword and aimed it at Ichigo.

"You tell me where she is or I will kill you right here, right now," Ichigo raised his right hand to block the sword but a hand laid itself on Byakuya's arm.

"Bya, he doesn't know where she is. He's been out for three days. Look at him," the girl stepped out from behind Byakuya.

"Yachiru?" Ichigo gasped and Yachiru nodded.

"How are you feeling Emperor?" she asked and he shook his head.

"How do I look?" Ichigo asked dryly and Yachiru giggled and shrugged.

"Pretty shitty if you ask me," she said and Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah that's about how I feel," Ichigo said and stared at the sky. "What's become of my Rukia?"

"We don't know. We met Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and Nel just outside the pass; the three soldiers guarding them were dead and covered in snow. I don't know about your sisters, but there was a note pinned to one of the corpses saying that she was taken. We don't know where or by whom," Yachiru said.

"You found no trace of her or my sisters?" Ichigo asked and they both shook their heads.

"There were more bodies littered around the pass. It looks like they were ambushed. They put up a good fight though, but in the end it looks like Nel took a sword to the head and the other guards were killed by magic. Maybe your sisters got away, but we don't know."

Ichigo placed his right hand over his eyes and sighed. He started thinking back to when he first met Rukia, when she was a child. She had looked so much like her sister, and still did. He thought about all the adventures they had had while he was taking her back home. He thought of the way that he had treated her lately and he was overcome with grief. He felt tears run down his face and his body shook as he sobbed quietly. He could remember the look on her face when she left; she was going to hate him forever. And now there was no chance to apologize, no chance to ask forgiveness. She was missing and they had no idea where to look first. When he finally opened his eyes he saw that they were on the move again, the line of people was gone, and as far as he could tell they were at the back of the line, and far behind the others.

"Ichigo," Grimmjow rode up to him and let his horse walk next to the litter.

"Grimmjow, where is everyone?" he asked.

"While you were getting healed and crying, the civilians split. They went to their homes to rebuild what lives they have left."

"Who is left with us now?"

"You mean here in the refugees?" Ichigo nodded. "A few Captains, Lieutenants, and about 200 soldiers."

"Where are the rest?"

"They either dropped their weapons and went to live as normal people, or they were killed in the mountains."

"What happened Grimmjow?"

* * *

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra came upon a lump buried in the snow at the bottom of the pass. Grimmjow lifted the torch high and could barely make out features. He squatted down and brushed some snow away from the largest area and revealed a chest guard with a dragon on it. He brushed snow away from the space above it and revealed a face. It wasn't a face he recognized.

"Ulquiorra be prepared, I have a bad feeling about this," Grimmjow stood up and drew his sword. Ulquiorra drew his sword as well and they walked forward slowly, watching the ground carefully for more bodies. The closer they got the end of the pass the more bodies showed up, with Grimmjow squatting down to brush off the face every time. They came to the end of the pass and saw a bunch of bodies lying in a circle. Both men walked around the bodies looking at faces.

"I found Lirin," Ulquiorra called out and went to the next body.

"I found Noba," Grimmjow said and looked at Noba's chest where there was a piece of paper. He tore off the paper and started to read it as Ulquiorra kept looking at bodies.

"I found Kurodo," Ulquiorra said and then stood there. "I don't see Nel, Rukia, or the girls."

"Rukia won't be found here," he handed the piece of paper to Ulquiorra. "She's been taken."

"It doesn't say anything about Nel or the girls though," he said and Grimmjow nodded.

"I hope that they are okay," Grimmjow said and sighed and felt tears come to his face. "Oh Nel," he sniffed back his tears and saw a small copse of trees a few hundred yards away.

"Do you smell that Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra asked and Grimmjow nodded.

"Smoke," they said at the same time and walked towards the trees slowly, their swords drawn. Grimmjow touched one of the tree branches with his sword and moved it to the side. In the clearing there was a small tent with a fire next to it, and a figure sitting next to the fire. Grimmjow quietly moved the branches out of the way and stepped towards the figure, Ulquiorra right behind. Grimmjow raised his sword and was flung into a tree. He landed at the bottom and groaned, his lungs hurting from the lack of air. He saw Ulquiorra stuck on a tree, a broken branch stuck through his stomach.

"Grimmjow?" he looked at the figure, her face now lit by the fire.

"Nel?" he slowly pushed himself to his feet and Nel hugged him tightly. "Oh my God Nel. I thought you were taken. We found the bodies, and we thought you were gone," Grimmjow sobbed and held her tight.

"As much as I'm glad to see you both happy and together, will you please get me down?" Ulquiorra said calmly and Grimmjow pulled him off the branch, Nel helped him wrap a bandage around this torso and Ulquiorra sat on the ground.

"What happened?" Grimmjow asked and Nel stoked the fire, trying to make it hotter in the cold snowy clearing. Grimmjow broke off some branches and added them to the fire, using his own fire to make it higher. "Oh Nel," he saw her face in the bright light. She was bruised and dried blood caked her hair to her head. There was a bloody cut running down her face across her nose.

"We were ambushed Grimm. They came at us from the mouth of the pass, hundreds of them. We fought and killed a few, we pushed them back but there were too many. When we burst from the pass the three guards fought hard, but were quickly killed. They took as many as they could with them. The girls rode as fast and as hard as they could, but Rukia was pulled from her horse. Yuzu's horse was killed, but she managed to get onto Karin's horse and they rode. I saw a few men firing arrows and bolts at them, but I didn't see if they were hit or not. The men hit me pretty bad, slashed me across the face and knocked me out. When I came to, everyone was gone, and I was cold. I'm bruised everywhere Grimm," she started sobbing and Grimmjow held her tight, knowing what she meant.

"We need to get back to Ichigo. I'm sure by now the enemy will have gotten back to the army and will be sending more men this way to attack from the rear."

"Yes, we will stay here for a day and then leave tomorrow. We'll let you heal a bit Ulquiorra," Ulquiorra nodded and pulled a blanket from his pack, curling up beneath it.

"Grimm, will you stay in the tent with me?" Nel asked, tears still running down her face.

"Of course I will," he said and kissed her lightly.

"Will you stay with me? Even though I wasn't strong enough to stop them?" Grimmjow smiled and hugged her close.

"I would never you leave you. No matter what," he said and Nel sobbed quietly as Grimmjow helped her into the tent and covered themselves with the blanket. Grimmjow rubbed her back soothingly until she fell asleep, Grimmjow right behind her.

* * *

"The next day your army showed up. We were packed and were about to head back up the pass after burning the bodies of Noba, Lirin, and Kurodo. We don't know what happened at the fortress. You'll have to asked someone else," Grimmjow said and Ichigo nodded.

"How's Nel?" he asked and Grimmjow shrugged.

"Unohana healed her injuries, but her mind is still damaged from what happened to her. Unohana told me that she healed Nel all the way to before we met."

"Unohana made her a virgin again?" Grimmjow nodded.

"She thinks that maybe if I have her virginity again, Nel will forget about the rape."

"Does Nel know?"

"Unohana told her. Nel was happy and at the same time not. She kept her memories of all the times we've fucked, but her body won't remember. I guess we'll just have to see," Ichigo nodded.

"Good luck Grimmjow," Grimmjow bowed from his horse.

"Thank you Captain," Grimmjow walked his horse away.

"Grimmjow! Bring me someone who was there that isn't too hurt to talk," Grimmjow nodded and waved, trotting off down the line. Ichigo lay there and stared at the clouds, the white puffs making shapes as they floated across the sky. He heard the soft pounding of hooves against dirt and he looked to his left to see two Captains sitting on horses. Ichigo's father and Head Captain Yamamoto stared down at him.

"What did I miss?" Ichigo asked.

* * *

Isshin placed his left hand on the soldier's face and pushed him backwards, pulling his right arm back and his sword free as the man fell to the ground, blood spurting from his stomach like a fountain. He turned and struck out, cutting the arm off another man before slashing his throat. He felt a sharp pain in his side and looked down to see a spear head stuck into his side just below his ribs. He looked up into the eyes of the man who had stabbed him and let out a feral scream. The man pulled the sword free and stabbed again; Isshin spun on the balls of his feet, blocking the stab by pushing the spear away, before completing his 360 turn by lopping the man's head from his shoulders. Isshin stumbled back as he watched his men push against Aizen's and Gin's men again.

"Isshin," he looked over to see Kenpachi standing there, bleeding from multiple wounds.

"How bad is it Kenpachi?" he asked and Kenpachi grinned.

"Bad? This is just getting good Kurosaki."

"I meant, how low are our numbers?" Isshin asked and Kenpachi stopped grinning.

"My whole squad is gone, as are most of the squads," he said and Isshin felt his shoulders slump and he looked towards the remains of the gate where the fighting was getting worse and worse.

"Tell everyone to pull back to the fortress. We must protect it at all costs," Isshin said and Kenpachi nodded and ran towards the front lines.

"Captain Isshin!" Urahara rushed up to him and held out two brown sticks with string coming out of the end.

"What is this?" Isshin asked.

"A new weapon; it creates a big explosion. With it we can escape from here and close the passes up behind us," Isshin thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Get to work, how much time do you need?"

"The people are already through with just a few guards. So as soon as everyone is ready we can go. Ten minutes tops," Urahara said and Isshin nodded, the two men running in different directions.

"Kenpachi!" he screamed and the large man appeared before him. "Is Yachiru with my son?"

"Yes she is," he replied. "What do you need?"

"About ten minutes," Isshin said and Kenpachi nodded.

"Keep it up men! Just a few more minutes!" Isshin and Kenpachi whirled around the remains of the gate, slashing up enemies as they tried to hold back the tide of soldiers. They watched Ukitake and Shunsui fighting side by side. As the men pushed Tosen's forces back through the gate there was a low rumble and then a bright flash of light. The entire wooden wall exploded inwards throwing men and wood everywhere, Isshin and Kenpachi were thrown through the air. The remaining men, about a full Division, hid behind the low stone walls as men and wood landed among them. Isshin and Kenpachi picked themselves up and watched as men rushed at them. Isshin looked over at the pass to see Urahara and some men guarding the pass. Urahara looked over and waved at them, motioning them to come to the pass.

"Forward men!" Shunsui climbed over the wall and charged, men running behind him.

"No! Stop!" Isshin shouted but heard someone shout the same thing from his other side. Ukitake charged forward, the rest of the men following him, splitting as they rushed around Isshin and Kenpachi.

"Yeah! Let's get them!" Kenpachi shouted and started to rush forward but was dragged back by Isshin.

"Stop Kenpachi! We must get out of here!" he and Kenpachi ran towards the pass, Toshiro and Yamamoto joining them. As they reached the pass Isshin stopped and turned back, watching as the Dragon Warriors fought one another. Aizen and Gin were fighting Ukitake and Shunsui, their warriors fighting around them. Isshin felt his heart sink as Shunsui fell to his knees, and his head rolled across the ground as his body hit the ground at Aizen's feet. Ukitake fell to his knees as Tosen cut his right arm off, sending it flying. Ukitake knelt there as Gin raised his sword and plunged it into his chest, killing him instantly. As Ukitake fell Aizen and Gin raised their swords, and spears came out their chests, swords taking off their heads. The remaining Dragon Warriors on both sides were cut down by spears and swords of Tosen's human soldiers. A few of those running towards the pass were feathered by arrows.

"Back! Run!" Isshin screamed and they all backed into the pass as the humans ran towards them. Urahara stepped back as the others ran down the pass. As the first soldiers entered the pass Urahara let out a scream and a tidal wave of fire roared through the pass lighting the fuses on the sticks of powder that were sitting in holes and cracks in the pass. An arrow passed through the fire and struck Urahara in the neck. Kenpachi carried him through the pass as explosions ripped open the walls of the pass and closed it up with rocks.

* * *

"Every Division is gone; the only Captains left are me, Yamamoto, Kenpachi, you, Toshiro, and Urahara. There are only two Lieutenants left, Grimmjow and Yachiru. We have failed in killing Tosen."

"I know I fucked up, I don't want to hear it," Ichigo snapped and Isshin and Yamamoto shared a look before looking back at Ichigo.

"We aren't here to tell you that you fucked up. We are here to ask what we are going to do now."

"We're going home. We must hide and survive. When we are built up enough we will gather what men we have left and attack Tosen at his home."

"Where are we going to go?" Yamamoto asked. "Most of our cities have either been taken or destroyed. Our castles are gone and our armies wiped out."

"What about the Ranch?" Isshin asked and Yamamoto looked at him like he was crazy.

"Can we even get into the Ranch?" Ichigo asked and Isshin shrugged.

"I know some of the soldiers there; I can maybe pull a few strings," Isshin said and Yamamoto shook his head.

"Don't forget that we are the ones who exiled them to that mountain."

"Who were the ones that exiled them?" Ichigo asked.

"Me, Yamamoto, Komamura, You, Ukitake, Shunsui, and Unohana," Isshin said. "The Lost Ones."

"I thought they said they preferred the Masked Ones?" Ichigo said and Isshin shrugged.

"Whatever. They should, I hope, be open to talk."

"You guys do that. You take all the men to the Ranch. I'll take Grimmjow, Nel, and Ulquiorra to Nel's mother's house. From there we will gather as much information as we can in order to take out Tosen. When I feel we have enough info I'll come get you and we will finish this. Now that Aizen and Gin are out of the way, this will be easier. You are dismissed, I wish you all luck."

"Good luck to you too son," Isshin said as he and Yamamoto bowed from their saddles before riding to the front of the line. Ichigo lay there, staring at the sky, trying to come up with a plan. Byakuya walked over to the litter and stood over Ichigo again who groaned.

"Yes?" Ichigo asked and Byakuya stared down at him.

"What are you going to do about Rukia?" he asked and Ichigo growled.

"I don't know. I'm trying to figure that out."

"Well you need to hurry. She could be hurt," he said and Ichigo glared at him.

"Don't you think I don't know that? I'm doing what I can," he said and Yachiru walked up to them.

"Leave him alone Bya, he's tired."

"Rukia-"

"Is missing, I know. But we can't do anything to help her if we all die," she said softly. "Ichigo, I overheard what you and the old men were talking about. Are they really going to go the Ranch?"

"Yes," Ichigo said and Bya looked between the two questioningly.

"Are me and Bya going too?" she asked and Ichigo thought for a moment.

"I don't know. They may not like Bya because he's human, but you and Kenpachi can go."

"I'm not going anywhere," Kenpachi said. Ichigo looked up to see the scar running down his left eye and the eye patch over his right.

"You okay Kenpachi?" Ichigo asked and Kenpachi grinned.

"Of course. I still have my eye, but the patch gives the enemies an advantage. I like it," he said and Ichigo chuckled softly. "As I said, I will not be going to the Ranch."

"What's the Ranch?" Byakuya asked and Ichigo and Kenpachi shared a look.

"I don't know about his Ichigo," Kenpachi said and Ichigo nodded.

"I know, but he needs to know. They are the only ones who can help us get Rukia back."

"What is the Ranch?" Yachiru asked and Kenpachi shook his head.

"I forgot you didn't come around until after that rebellion."

"The Ranch is a secluded mountain palace, known only to the Captains of the Disciplinary Court. It's a large fortress deep in a mountain, guarded by the best Dragon Warriors. It is currently home to the most dangerous people that are deemed too dangerous to be among people and Dragon Warriors, but not dangerous enough to be executed. There are, at this moment, 8 of the most powerful Dragon Warriors in the Ranch, put there for unlawful experimentations on themselves. The call themselves the Visoreds, and at this point are our only hope of winning this war."

"And you plan on breaking them out?" Byakuya asked.

"No, we plan on asking them for help. Hopefully they will help, but they more than likely won't. So a few of us are staying in the human world while the rest go the Ranch to elicit their help."

"I am going with you Ichigo," Byakuya said.

"Kenny and I will too," Yachiru said and gave a sidelong look at Byakuya.

"Very well. Be prepared though to live as not only a human, but as a commoner," he grinned at Byakuya who grimaced.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it, reviews are still welcome :)**


	20. The Truth Comes Out

**Sorry its taken so long to get this out, since I've been working at FedEx at nights I sleep most of the day away and do very little writing, that and my hard drive crashed and no computer for 2 weeks. Not much of this story left either, a few more chapters to go and I'm almost done writing them.**

**Merry late Christmas everyone and I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach at all, too bad right? It'd probably be a hentai by now.**

* * *

Rukia sat in the coach, her hands bound together behind her with a short length of rope. She stared out the window of the coach for a moment as they passed through hills covered in long grass. The window blew softly, making the curtains over the window whip softly with it. The grass outside also moved with the wind, making it look like a sea of green and brown making waves on the hills. The sweet smell of wet corn caught her nose and she closed her eyes, remembering her times hunting dragons.

"Miss Rukia," she looked over at her companion in the coach.

"What do you want Momo?" Rukia snapped and the girl looked at her lap before back at Rukia.

"I just want to ask you to forgive me for this."

"Why should I?"

"Because you took care of me, so now I'm going to do the same," she said softly and Rukia snorted.

"What about Ichigo? Didn't he help you out too?"

"Yes, but Ichigo is part of the old breed. I am part of the new," Momo said and Rukia shook her head.

"What are you talking about Momo?" Momo grinned and held out her hand, a ball of fire appeared floating above it. "You're a Dragon Warrior?"

"Yes," Momo grinned. "You see, I was never Aizen's maid. I was his lover after his mate was killed by your brother," Rukia's eyes widened, her mind going back to the night Hisana was killed.

_Byakuya scooted back on the bloody ground and the dragon pinned him down with a foot and stared at him. The dragon opened its mouth and Byakuya saw the glow of fire in the throat. The dragon suddenly screamed and snapped at the soldier who had sliced the leg. Byakuya saw his katana on the ground and grabbed for it, but it was just out of his reach. The dragon looked back at him and roared in his face._

"_You had my mate killed!" the dragon shouted in his face, the voice rough._

"Aizen killed my sister. He destroyed my life," Rukia gasped softly and Momo grinned.

"I see you remember. To tell you the truth though I'm surprised," Momo, had a smug look on her face.

"Surprised about what?" Rukia asked.

"The first time you met Aizen, the scar on his face," Momo said slowly and Rukia bowed her head. "That's what your brother did to him."

"So you were sent to spy on Ichigo?"

"Yes of course," Momo said. "And I was to be Aizen's spy from the inside. I would feed Aizen information about Ichigo's army movements and I would give little bits of information to Ichigo to make him trust me."

"You're the one who gave lies to Aizen to have Ichigo arrested?"

"Guilty as charged," Momo laughed and leaned close to Rukia.

"And I loved every minute of it," she said and grinned evilly. "Did I do a good acting job about the beatings? Did you believe my tears?" she pouted and then smiled again. "Of course you did, you're a fucking moron."

"So, to change the subject, you said you were a new breed? What does that mean?" Rukia asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh, yes I suppose I can show you," she held up both hands, one hand had a ball of fire floating over it; the other had a ball of water.

"I can see that you're confused," Momo said triumphantly. "So let me explain to you what this is. I was part of a group of Dragon Warriors who let Lord Aizen experiment on us. He mixed the powers of Mages and Dragon Warriors, and made ten of us. We are the most powerful creatures on Earth, and cannot be killed by anyone," she laughed manically and opened the coach door, vaulting herself out the door and onto the roof, slamming the door with her foot. Rukia sat back against the seat, dumbfounded and scared.

* * *

The horses stopped in front of a large stone house, more like a mansion than a house, with large wood doors and glass windows. As the horses stopped a blonde haired woman with green eyes came walking out of the house, nearly running, two men behind her. Nel jumped down from her horse and started running.

"Nel!" her mother ran towards her.

"Mom!" Nel met her mother halfway and they hugged each other.

"Grimmjow," Grimmjow smiled and hugged both of them.

"Mother," he smiled as she kissed both Grimmjow's and Nel's cheeks.

"Oh, I was so worried about you. I got Lord Ichigo's letter but when only his sisters showed up I got so worried," she looked past them and smiled. "Lord Ichigo, so glad to see you again."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Ichigo asked as he limped up to them, supported by Kenpachi. "Call me Ichigo Ms. Harribel."

"And I've told you to call me Tia," she said and hugged Ichigo lightly. "It's good to see you all."

"It's good to be here," Ichigo said and then sighed. "We have a problem Tia."

"Yes, let's go into the house and talk," she said and motioned for everyone to go into the house. She waited outside, watching the street, until everyone was inside. She motioned for the two men to take the horses before she walked into the house and closed the doors behind her. She walked into the large sitting room where she entertained her guests to find everyone sitting around the couches and chairs.

"I see we have some new faces," Ichigo cleared his throat and nodded.

"I believe you know Kenpachi," Tia and Kenpachi nodded to each other in greeting.

"The dark haired man over there is Byakuya Kuchiki, the previous lord of Seireitei City. The pink haired girl is Yachiru, Kenpachi's Lieutenant."

"It's nice to meet you both, and welcome to my home. It's not much by Dragon Warrior or Prince standards, but I hope it'll be enough," Tia said and bowed to them.

"It'll be fine here ma'am," Yachiru said and bowed from her seat.

"I'm sure it will be okay," Byakuya replied and gave a small bow.

"Who first Tia? You or me?" Ichigo asked and Tia licked her lips before sitting and nodding.

"You first Ichigo, I want to know," Ichigo nodded and leaned back in the chair.

"We lost the war Tia. We only have a handful of men and Captains left. Grimmjow and Yachiru are the only Lieutenants left. We need a place to stay until we can recruit some more men. We would like to live here and hide here as your new workers," Byakuya looked at him sharply.

"Now wait a second, I never said I would do that," he said and Ichigo sighed.

"Shut up Byakuya," Ichigo said and looked at Tia. "What do you need us to do?"

"I have a need for a few seamstresses, Yachiru and Nel will do fine for that. The small farm I have needs a few new hands, if you, Grimmjow, and Byakuya don't mind. The seamstress factory needs a guard, Kenpachi?"

"I will not work as a farmer," Byakuya said roughly and Ichigo sighed as Tia thought.

"Fine, I can use you as a front man. You will be in the store, selling the clothes to people," she said and Byakuya opened his mouth before Ichigo's glare silenced him. He nodded and sat there.

"Now that all this is out of the way, what about my sisters?"

"They have already been sent to the store as models for the girl dresses."

"I assume that we are staying in the servant houses?" Ichigo asked and Tia laughed.

"Absolutely not, you will be staying here in the house," she said and Ichigo bowed.

"I thank you kindly for your hospitality mistress," he said and then stood up; the others followed except for Byakuya who just stood up. Ichigo glared at him which he returned. Ichigo turned on his heel and walked from the room, leaving everyone behind.

"Nel, you and Grimmjow may have your old room. I kept it clean in case you two should ever come and visit," Tia said with a smile and both Nel and Grimmjow gave her a hug. When they stepped back.

"When do we start work?" Nel asked and Tia chuckled.

"Tomorrow morning, I'll let you all get some rest," she said and both of them nodded and bowed before they left. Tia smiled softly and then sat down in her chair, leaning to the side, her right hand holding her head. "Now you know where they will be, just please leave my daughter and her mate alone," she said and a man appeared from the shadows. He had brown hair and a grey fur cloak.

"How long have we known each other?" he asked and Tia shrugged.

"Quite a few years, she said and he nodded to himself.

"You should know me by now Tia, you've known me since Nel left with Grimmjow."

"And even knowing that Grimmjow was a Dragon Warrior and my son-in-law you became one of Tosen's Espada anyway. You joined up with the men who want to kill people like him," she said and glared at him as he came around to kneel down in front of her.

"You know that a Dragon killed my family."

"And that gives you the justice to join Tosen? My son-in-law is a great man, he takes care of Nel, and you are going to sentence him to death because of what he was born Stark?" she growled and Stark stood up, walking over to the fireplace. He stared into it for a while before he opened his mouth.

"I know why you like the Dragon Warriors so much Tia. Ichigo rescued you from a slow death as a poor woman. He gave you standing among the people and you have returned the favor by being kind to the people who used to look down on you. Ichigo and Grimmjow are noble men, kinder than most Dragon Warriors, but you can't forget that when you were a little girl it was an army of Dragon Warriors that killed your family, and one of their mages found you hiding in the hay. You can't forget that he raped you and that's why Nel is a mage as well."

"But I love my daughter with all my heart. She is a part of me, as Grimmjow is a part of her he is also a part of me. Both of those men have taken care of my little girl and me, I can't be so single minded against Dragon Warriors when they have helped me so much. I will always hate them for what they did, but I can't look down on two of the greatest men I've ever known for that."

"So you can look past what that army did to you? You can find the good in people even after that horrible experience?"

"Yes Stark, I can," she said and he smiled to himself.

"How?" he asked as he came to stand behind her chair.

"Because after I learned the truth about who did it I came to just hate him, and forgive everyone else," she said and Stark placed his hands on the chair back.

"Who killed your villiage? Who raped you?" Stark asked and Tia glared at the wall.

"It was Captain Tosen who destroyed my home and Aaroniero who raped me," she said and Stark blinked in surprise.

"Aaroniero? I didn't know that little bitch even had a dick to rape anyone with," he mused and Tia growled.

"I want them both dead, as well as Tosen who wants to destroy my family."

"On my life and honor, and my love for you Tia, no one will find out from me that Nel and Grimmjow are here. He only wants Ichigo anyway," he placed a hand on Tia's shoulder and Tia sighed before she let her head flop back so she could look into his eyes. He leaned down and kissed her lips lightly.

"Stark, please, kill Tosen and end this war so we can all live in peace."

"I can't do that Tia, I'm sorry," he walked towards the door.

"Stark, please. He needs to die," she said and Stark stopped halfway across the floor.

"I know he does, but I have yet to forgive the Dragon Warrior who ordered his men to attack my people and take my village from me."

"Who was it?" Tia asked as she closed her eyes and Stark turned to look at her.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Tia's eyes shot open in surprise.

"Are you sure?" she asked as she stood up shakily.

"Yes," Stark nodded. "At least that's what Tosen told me."

"Stark," Tia whispered as he walked towards the door.

"As I said Tia, I will not tell anyone that Grimmjow and Nel are here, but Ichigo must be killed."

"I'm sorry Stark, but I can't believe that Ichigo would do that. He's not that kind of person," she said and Stark turned to look at her.

"Should I ask him myself then?" Stark asked and Tia nodded.

"Very well, I will ask Ichigo tomorrow," he said.

"How about you ask me now," Stark's and Tia's eye's widened in surprise. Stark turned to see Ichigo standing there. "What do you need to ask me, Espada?"

"Did you destroy my home village?" Stark asked quietly and Ichigo stepped towards him.

"What village was it?" Ichigo asked and Stark narrowed his eyes.

"Karakura Town."

* * *

The coach stopped and Rukia tried to look out the window, but the curtains blocked most vision except for a small crack. She could see a group of people standing outside talking. She sat back against the seat and sighed, flexing her fingers; Momo had come back in and taken the rope from her wrists and brought her a dress to wear. She looked down at the violet colored dress and groaned; the dress was low cut and her breasts were nearly spilling out, her nipples barely covered. The door flew open and the compartment was flooded with light. She squinted her eyes shut as a hand grabbed her arm and dragged her from the coach. She opened her eyes and saw a bunch of people standing around her, staring at her. She looked up and her eyes widened at where she was; standing at the entrance to the palace at Seireitei City.

"Welcome home, Rukia Kuchiki," Tosen said from a few feet in front of her. She glared at him and found him staring at her chest, as were most men.

"You're a pig," she snarled and Tosen chuckled.

"That's no way to treat your new husband," he said and Rukia sneered.

"You're not my husband, I have a mate," she said and Tosen grinned, holding his hand out to her as a man shoved her forward.

"Not for long you won't. You see I have a man getting his location right now," Tosen grabbed her upper arm and lead her towards the palace door.

"You won't find him, your man will be killed," she said and Tosen laughed.

"Ichigo lost the war my dear. His army was crushed and he fled. Just a little bit longer and my man will find him and be back here."

"Lord Tosen?" Tosen stopped and looked back at Momo.

"Yes what is it? I'm trying to get my new mate into the bedroom," Tosen said calmly and Momo shifted her feet.

"Where is Lord Aizen?" she asked and Tosen slowly grinned. He waved his left hand at Momo and a guard grabbed two arms.

"What are you doing?" she choked out and Tosen grinned.

"Aizen is dead," he said and then smiled. "You will be my slave now," he started walking again with Rukia at his side as Momo was dragged along behind them. Momo's eyes widened and she used wind to blow away the two men holding her before she readied two fireballs.

"I will not let you take me! I will not be a slave again!" she screamed and drew her right arm back and the fireballs went out in a puff of smoke. Tosen smiled and lifted his right hand; Momo was flung back and rolled across the ground.

"You have no choice," he said and pointed a finger at her. A bolt of lightning hit her and she screamed in pain and writhed on the ground. There was a small pop and Tosen looked over his shoulder to see Stark standing there. "Ah, you're back."

"I know where Ichigo is staying," Stark said and Tosen grinned.

"No!" Rukia screamed.

"Good, where?"

"Tia Harribel's," he said and Tosen grinned even wider as Rukia's face fell.

"The famous seamstress? Well I've always kinda fancied her. I may go pay them a visit tonight," he turned to Momo and motioned for the guards to pick up her motionless body. "Poor thing was too weak," he said as Momo's broken eyes stared at him, blood running from her mouth. He drew his sword and stepped forwards as Rukia glared at Stark.

"Lord…Aizen…I'm so…sorry," Momo said softly as Tosen raised his sword high with his right hand and brought it down. Momo didn't even scream as the sword cut through her from her left shoulder to her right thigh. The two guards let go of her arms and her body fell forwards, landing face first on the stones, blood pooling around her as her body separated slightly from the sword cut. Tosen turned around and grunted, his eyes going wide as his hands went to his stomach. He looked down and saw guts spilling from a large gash. He turned and saw Stark standing over two dead guards. Tosen saw the sword in his hand and the blood dripping from it.

"What the fuck Stark?" Tosen stumbled back as two men stepped forwards, one putting his arm around Rukia's neck the other drawing a sword and walking towards Stark.

"Explain yourself Stark," the man holding Rukia said as the one with the sword stepped forward.

"I plan to Zommari," Stark said and blocked the sword easily, sidestepping and bringing his own sword down to cut the right arm off his opponent.

"Damn you Stark!" his opponent screamed and raised his left arm, preparing to fire a ball of fire.

"You know you are no match for me, Luppi," Stark said and there was a pop as he disappeared. Luppi fell backwards as Stark appeared behind him. Stark walked slowly towards Tosen, slowly gaining speed as Luppi's body hit the ground, his left arm coming off at the elbow and his torso separated into three sections and from his legs.

"Explain yourself Stark!" Zommari yelled as he threw Rukia away and drew his sword. Stark was at a full sprint now and swung his sword with both hands at Tosen's head. Blood went flying as sword cut through flesh and bone as easy as a knife through butter. Stark took a few more steps and then stood there.

"He's lied to us Zommari, he's lied to us all. He won't keep us around to be his guards. He's going to kill us just like he killed the Dragon Warriors. Take a look around, how many magical beings have we seen around lately? We can't even feel them anymore other than a few remaining Dragon Warriors."

"How do you know he's lying to us?"

"The man I was sent to spy on, Ichigo Kurosaki. I was told that it was Kurosaki who invaded my home and killed my little Lilinette. I was told that it was Kurosaki who destroyed my village, but it wasn't."

"_What village was it?" Ichigo asked and Stark narrowed his eyes._

"_Karakura town," He watched as Ichigo's eyes widened and then he bowed his head. Stark slowly drew his sword and stepped towards Ichigo. Tia stepped in his way and grabbed his hand._

"_Stark stop. It wasn't Ichigo who destroyed your home," she said and Stark glared down at her._

"_How do you know?"_

"_Because I am also from Karakura town. You and I are the only ones left now, both known by different names and faces all those years ago."_

"_How long have you known?" Stark asked and Tia held his face in her hands softly._

"_I miss my little Lilinette too," she said and Starks eyes widened._

"_No, it can't be. I saw you dead," Stark said and dropped his sword, holding her face and staring into her eyes._

"_She lived Stark. We found her, my soldiers and I. You see, I am to blame for the destruction of Karakura town, though not in the way you think. I was the Dragon Guardian of Karakura town, and the enemy tricked us by attacking with a larger force miles away. Your home was destroyed because I fell for a trap, and I am sorry that I fell for the trap."_

"_Then who was it who destroyed my home?"_

"_Tosen," he said and Stark shook his head._

"_Tosen isn't over 150 years old," Stark said and snarled. "You're lying!"_

"_He's a mage, just like Nel. He can live more many years. How do you think he made you? You were in an incubation period for a hundred years and lost your memories. Tia here was healed by our Squad 4 Captain and lost all of her memories. She learned to sew and then gave birth to a little girl, Nel. Many years later Grimmjow was injured and they gave him aid. In return I had Tia given immortality to be with her daughter and son-in-law."_

"_Swear to me, by the tongue of the Dragon," Stark demanded._

"And he did, he swore to me by the tongue of the Dragon. Tosen has been behind everything for hundreds of years. However much you remember of your life Zommari, you can add 100 years to it and that is your age," Stark said and Zommari watched as Stark's sword slipped from his fingers.

"_I'm sorry Tia, forgive me."_

"What a stupid man," Tosen said as Stark fell to his knees then flat on his face. Tosen turned, his stomach healed, his clothes not even ripped. Stark's blood pooled beneath him as his eyes stared blankly at the stones under his nose. "And what a waste of effort to turn him. Come Zommari, grab Rukia, we have work to do."

* * *

**Reviews are welcome please :)**


	21. Driven To The Brink

**Hey everyone, sorry its taken so long to update this story. For a long time I had no interest in Dragon Wars and I had no inspiration coming in. But now I have ideas, and I'm getting closer and closer to finishing this up. This is a pretty good chapter in my opinion, and I think it sets up the mood for the ending pretty well :) so enjoy everyone (and for being so patient I left you a nice surprise)**

**Reviewers.**

**To Lucas Bane- well as I said before, a lot of characters have done the same thing in the anime and look how they died :P **

**To DarkLiliy003- lol, oh sometimes I wish I could hit some of the characters too…but I restrain myself lol, I mean, what fun is a FanFiction story if the characters act like they do in the show?**

**To anon-ugh, I know…Christmas season sucks lol, it was cold, windy, rainy, and busy…not a good combination at all to work in**

**To Booklover2526- I always liked stark, just because his form used guns…makes me wish that I could materialize guns from no where**

**To Insane Fangirl 4-I know right? I mean it's not like I haven't just killed main characters at all :P **

**To KuchikiSummerfrost- I hope so too, that would be bad if Rukia got hurt…it makes me wonder what Ichigo would do to Tosen….hmmmmm**

**To Gman123- AMEN TO THAT! I like my happy endings as much as the next guy…but sometimes I just want chaos and death….these old cliché "the good guy wins" kinda gets on my nerves**

**To Guest- well I plan on updating more often, I've already started chapter 22, so that should be up next Saturday**

**Disclaimer…I don't own bleach at all, just this story idea**

**And for those who know about this whole Critics United crap that's been going on just to let you know, if I suddenly disappear you can find my stories on Adult Fan Fiction…I will be checking my account everyday so if it disappears find me on AFF, I have the same pen name there that I do here.**

* * *

Ichigo stretched his back as the hot sun beat down on him. He took off his hat and fanned his face as he leaned against the hoe. Sweat ran down his back, making the dirt flying around stick to his bare flesh. He had been working in the field for the last month as people gathered in the small town to take out Tosen. So far only about 500 had gathered, and it was nowhere near enough to beat Tosen. Ichigo had gotten tan in his time in the sun, as had Grimmjow who was working a few rows over. The cotton was growing well, Tia's chief gardener had shown them how to properly care for the plants.

"I think that when this is over I'm going to own a farm," Grimmjow said and Ichigo chuckled.

"You? The violent Dragon Warrior who kills for the sake of killing be a farmer? You are crazy," Ichigo replied and they both laughed. Everyone had tried to get along the last month, but tensions were running high. Kenpachi was ready to kill people again, Byakuya wanted revenge for Rukia, and Grimmjow wanted revenge for his mother-in-law and his mate. Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu wanted revenge for their father. Yachiru wanted to protect Byakuya, who she was "secretly" in love with. Tia wanted to make sure they were all safe. She had told them of Stark and everything that he had told her, and Ichigo and Grimmjow had been trying to prepare for an assassination that had never come.

"What do you think that is?" Grimmjow asked as they heard bells tolling in the distance.

"I don't know, probably just some of the town folk celebrating something, or the arrival of more troops," Ichigo said as he went back to hoeing the cotton. The town was the only town left that supported the Dragon Warriors, and they let the soldiers who arrived stay in town with them or in the woods a few miles north where the forest and mountains met in rolling hills covered with pines and oaks. The bell that sat in a large stone tower in the center of town; the only stone building other than Tia's house, the two large factories and the Town Center where all the courts and weekly meetings took place. The bell could be heard for miles around and even up into the hills.

"Sir! Emperor! The town is under attack!" one of the Warriors masquerading as a town guard ran through the fields shouting. "The town is under, ahhh!" the man was dragging to the ground and Ichigo and Grimmjow, as well as the other field workers who were also Warriors, drew knives and rushed to help the runner. A shadow charged through the cotton straight at Ichigo who held his knife at the ready and waited. The shadow jumped at Ichigo with a pair of long daggers, with a foot long serrated blade, stretched out in front of it. Ichigo blocked the knives and ducked under the shadow, spinning around to slash at the neck area.

The shadow dodged the attack and kicked at Ichigo who blocked it with his arm and then stabbed the thigh. There was a loud wailing sound as it limped backwards before jumping again. As it wailed Ichigo felt his senses going fuzzy and he struggled to fight the creature. He blocked the strikes that kept coming at him, it was all he could do at this point. He looked over to see Grimmjow fighting another of the creatures, as well as two more that the other Warriors were ganging up on. Ichigo brought his attention back to his own opponent who was still wailing. Ichigo finally managed to block a strike with just enough force to slide his knife into the Shade's throat and silence the wailing, clearing his senses. He threw the Shade to the ground and stabbed it in the chest multiple times before he climbed on top of the thing and sawed off the head.

"Grimmjow!" he ran over to Grimmjow, who was on the ground, just in time to tackle the Shade and saw off its head. The other Warriors had dispatched the other two Shades and were running over to them.

"How many did we lose?" Grimmjow asked as Ichigo helped him to his feet.

"Three of the workers are down sir, as well as the runner. It's a damn good thing there weren't more of them," one of the Warriors said and Ichigo nodded.

"The runner said the town was under attack," Grimmjow said.

"Everyone to the town. Let's see what we can do," Ichigo said and they started running for the town. Suddenly Grimmjow stopped and turned, sprinting for the house as fast as he could. "Grimmjow! You men, to the town," Ichigo shouted and the Warriors ran for the town as Ichigo took off after Grimmjow who was running like hell itself was after him.

Ichigo watched Grimmjow break through the door and let out a shout. There were sounds of metal striking metal and Ichigo increased his speed as much as he could. He rushed into the house half a minute behind Grimmjow and saw blood splattering the walls. Ichigo ran through the house, following the shouts and clanging of metal. There were more bodies lying on the ground or pinned to the wall. Most of them Shades but some of them were Warriors.

"Grimmjow!" he heard a scream and he broke down the door directly to his right. Grimmjow was standing in the middle of the room fending off three Shades with only his knife. Tia, Nel, and Karin were huddled behind him against the wall. Ichigo looked around and saw Grimmjow's katana leaning against the wall. Ichigo grabbed it and threw it at Grimmjow shouting at him. Grimmjow looked up and caught the sword, pulling it free of the scabbard in time to block one knife with the scabbard and one with the sword. The third Shade turned to Ichigo who grabbed the wrist of the striking hand and shoved his fist into the Shade's stomach. He channeled fire and large hole burned itself through the Shade who shrieked as it died.

Ichigo dropped the corpse and tackled the second Shade as Grimmjow slashed off the head of the first one. Ichigo placed his palm on the back of the Shade's head and fire erupted in a blast of molten heat. When the smoke and fire cleared the head was gone, small tendrils of smoke rose up from around the charred remains of the neck. Ichigo stood up and Karin rushed over to him.

"Brother!" she hugged him tightly and Ichigo gasped for breath.

"Where is Yuzu?" he asked and Karin stood back.

"I'm sorry. They surprised us," she said and pointed to the kitchen area. Ichigo walked into the kitchen on shaking legs and saw Yuzu lying on her back, eyes staring at the ceiling in horror, her mouth wide open and filled with blood, some blood had gotten into her hair. Her throat was slashed so raggedly that he could see the cartilage and muscles that made up her esophagus and vocal cords and four large stab wounds in her dress. Her hand was still gripping the wooden cooking spoon, a bowl of cake batter was spilled on the floor and flour covered her legs. The kitchen was a complete mess, covered in blood and baking supplies. Ichigo went to his knees beside Yuzu and brushed a strand of bloody hair from her face.

"I'm sorry Yuzu," he said and gathered her into his arms, burying her face into his chest he stared at the ceiling and sobbed, his hand stroked her hair as tears ran down his face drawing long streaks in the dirt. Karin knelt behind him and hugged her older brother, crying loudly into his back. Ichigo let out a feral scream of rage and sorrow before he buried his face against his sister's chest. He let out another scream and everyone stood there watching, Grimmjow had lost all his joy of a battle won and hugged his mate and mother-in-law. A guard ran into the kitchen and stopped in the doorway, panting for breath.

"Sir," he said when his breath finally caught up to him. "The town is safe now. No Shades there, just some bandits. We only lost a bare handful sir."

"Thank you," Grimmjow said and touched the man's shoulder. The guard jerked his eyes away from the scene and looked at Grimmjow.

"The Shades in the field were a diversion. They were to keep us in the field until these could kill everyone in the house. They didn't count on a runner from the village to beat them to us. I also have a feeling that those men in the town weren't bandits, they were a suicide mission to keep the Warriors away from here," Ichigo said as he tried to calm himself. He took a small breath, gasping for air still. "I will bury my sister, and then we head for the Ranch. It is time to end this."

"Yes sir, would you like help digging the grave?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo glared up at him.

"No, I'll do it," he said quietly. "This ends soon Grimmjow. We will either all die to defend our freedom and lives, or we will succeed in killing Tosen and free the world from a tyrant."

* * *

Ichigo stood by the empty grave, the body of his little sister wrapped in a clean white sheet from head to toe. He slammed the shovel tip first into the ground and leaned on the handle. He stared into the dark pit as Grimmjow pulled himself up and out on the opposite side of the hole. Ichigo and Grimmjow had flown Karin, Nel, Tia, and Yuzu's body to the burial ground outside of Ichigo's old mountain fortress. Ichigo had been glad that Tosen's men were gone, and even happier to see that the burial grounds were still intact. Ichigo had chosen to bury Yuzu next to his mother because they had always been close, Isshin would go on the other side and Karin would go next to Yuzu.

Ichigo let the shovel stay where it was and picked up Yuzu, carrying her to the edge of the grave. Grimmjow had helped Ichigo dig the grave since the ground was just about frozen solid. It had taken the two of them most of the day to dig the grave, though it only seemed like a few hours had passed instead of many. The sun was already touching the mountain peaks. Ichigo stood at the edge of the hole and waited as Grimmjow crawled back into the hole and reach up to take Yuzu's head carefully. Ichigo then crawled into the hole and they laid Yuzu in the bottom. Grimmjow climbed out of the hole as Ichigo kissed Yuzu's covered forehead.

"I'm sorry little sister. This is all my fault. I couldn't protect you, and if I can't protect my own sister, my own blood, than how am I supposed to protect our people? Give me help little one, tell me what to do," he said and started to cry again. After a few minutes he climbed out of the hole and stood next to Karin who had walked up with a handful of flowers. Purple and Blue mountain lilies, her favorite.

"Goodbye sister. I'll do my best to care for this idiot here," Karin said with a little laugh as she nodded her head towards Ichigo. "I have a feeling I'll see you soon. I love you Yuzu."

"Keep mom company for us until we join you both okay?" Ichigo said and picked up a handful of dirt. He tossed it onto Yuzu, Karin following suit as was tradition for the family. Ichigo took the first shovel of dirt and tossed it onto the body before Grimmjow started to help him out. Within the hour the hole was filled, and the sun was gone behind the mountains, the sky turning pink and red. Karin placed the flowers over Yuzu's head as Ichigo set the headstone in place. Now there sat two headstones, no birthdates or death dates, just a name a small description.

_ Masaki Kurosaki Yuzu Kurosaki_

_Loving mother and wife Sweet sister and loving daughter,_

_ Taken before her time_

Ichigo stood back and looked at the headstones before he knelt by his mother's grave. He touched the name softly and shook his head. He bowed his head and tears dropped onto the dirt, making small dark spots were the dirt became wet.

"I'm sorry mom. I couldn't protect your favorite child. Please keep her safe. We will all be together soon. I love you mom," he stood up and turned from the graves, his eyes hard and his face darkening with the duty he now had to face. He walked with purpose towards the others, the anger in his features apparent. Without a word he changed and Karin climbed onto his back and launched into the air. Grimmjow changed and Nel helped Tia onto his back before he followed Ichigo into the clouds.

"What now Ichigo?" Karin asked and patted his head.

"We kill all who oppose us. Like we did before. If the people want to believe Tosen that Dragon Warriors are monsters, then we'll show them what kind of monsters we can be," he said and Karin nodded, feeling exactly like her brother.

"To death then?" she asked and Ichigo tossed his head and snorted.

"To death," he answered and turned towards where the army would be by now. He had sent them ahead to the Ranch, hoping that a head start would be just what they needed. The town that had sheltered them marched with the army, knowing that if they stayed Tosen would kill them all anyway, so they marched to die with purpose. With the townsfolk included in the march the army consisted of 1500 men and women, all marching with one purpose, to die defending their freedom.

* * *

Ichigo rode at the head of the column, his most elite soldiers, the Moon Guards, marched right behind him. They were a small group of 200 men that had gone on a hunting mission months before the attack happened, and had been assumed dead. Little had Ichigo known the men had been following him the entire time trying to regroup with him. They had finally caught up with him and given him good news and bad news. The good news was that most of Tosen's army had been killed at Toshiro's mountain fortress when Urahara's invention had caused an avalanche. The bad news was that there was still an army of 20,000 men holding the plains around Seireitei City. It would take quite a large army to get into the city and kill Tosen, a larger army than they had. Ichigo didn't know of many towns that would follow them, and most of the soldiers had told him of ill treatment or even outright attacks when it was found out that they were Dragon Warriors.

It seemed as if the world had forgotten the deeds that the Dragon Warriors had done for them. It seemed that the last 500 years of mostly peace, except for bandit raids and Dragon Warriors taking each other's lands, were forgotten as soon as someone came along with a proposition to destroy the "monsters" and let humans rule each other. The only problem was that humans were three things that kept them from peace. They were extremely aggressive, loved to reproduce, and were greedy, all three beyond that of a dragon's nature. The dragons had ruled over humans for a thousand years, trying to keep them alive. Since Dragons lived for hundreds of years they weren't as aggressive, they could be if they felt threatened, but for the most part they had more time for diplomacy.

Humans just wanted to war, since most lived for less than a hundred years they wanted to rule as much as they could. The dragons of old had tired of it and after long years of war they had come to peace with a small condition. The dragons would rule the humans, fairly, and the humans would fight for the dragons when required. That had been 1000 years ago. Then the first dragon human hybrid child was born to a woman, and was thus called a Dragon Warrior. For the first 500 years dragons had fought and fought of the child, and the right to have children, and many blood lines had been killed, until only a few of the original blood were left. The dragons had then decided to make a Council, leaders of the lesser bloodlines, 46 in total, became the Central 46, while the other 13 royal bloodlines became the 13 court guard squads.

That first child was Yamamoto himself. Eventually all dragons had mated with humans and created entire cities of Dragon Warriors. By the time the Central 46 and Guard Squads were created only a few dragons were left alive. But some went into hiding, the others tried to help rule, but eventually killed themselves with feuds and duals. Thus after a while only Dragon Warriors were left, the other dragons that remained were the lesser breeds that didn't have the mental capacity for thought other than baser instincts.

Ichigo shook his head and sighed sadly, patting the neck of his gelding softly to keep him calm. The world was changing, maybe it was time for _Xu Shotal_, or "Final March" in dragon tongue. It was long passed down from generation to generation that when it was time for a new world to be born from the ashes of the old the Dragons were the ones who burned the old world. Ichigo didn't want to, but now he was almost certain that it was getting closer and closer to that time. He would do everything in his power to stop it, but already the "purification" of all Dark Creatures was underway. In the three days march so far they had passed by lots of bodies that were hung on trees or large gallows by the rode with the crimes hung around the neck. Sometimes heads were placed on spikes and the crime was nailed to the spike. It was always something not human.

Shade

Reader

Seeker

Mage

Replicators

Dragon Warrior

The last was seen more than anything else, and only because the Dragon tattoo that was on the flesh with birth. Mages and Dragon Warriors had long ruled together to make the world better, but now it seemed Humans didn't want that anymore. Ichigo was going to kill Tosen, at least with Tosen's death the world would be ruled by someone other than a tyrant and hypocrite. Ichigo would see Rukia on the world throne built for Tosen if it was the last thing he would do. Grimmjow was suddenly beside him.

"We're getting closer aren't we?" he asked and Ichigo nodded. "Nel can sense a lot of Dragon Warriors and other creatures close by.

"Another few hours and we'll be at the foot of the mountain. We will camp there tonight, and in the morning we will begin our climb up the trail."

"Do you think that they will help us?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo shrugged.

"There are over 3000 Dragon Warriors held there, including previous Captains and Lieutenants. They will be welcome additions to this army and make our battle a little more in our favor."

"What do you think the best ratio would be for a victory on our part?"

"2 to 1 odds, maybe 3 or 4 to 1 if we are lucky, but any more than 5 to 1 and it'll be a suicide mission."

"What was the last number you heard guarding Seireitei City?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo took a deep breath.

"20,000" he said. "That's close to 20 to 1 odds. We have no chance unless we all change into dragons, and most of us here can't except for the Captains, Lieutenants, and a few of the regular soldiers."

"So, we're fucked?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo nodded.

"Unless those in Ranch help, yes."

"Well, let's hope they help us yes?" A few hours later Ichigo called for a stop. They were at the foot of the mountains and they decided that making camp was the best choice. The paths were dangerous during the night and would take almost sun up to sundown to climb. The day was already half over, so they made camp and waited there for sun up. Grimmjow and Nel retired to their tent, and Ichigo to his.

"My lord, I brought you hot water and a tub," a servant said from outside the tent.

"Bring it in please," Ichigo said and two male servants carried in a deep brass tub followed by a woman carrying towels, soaps, and a robe. Ichigo took the towels and robe and set them on the cot, before nodding to dismiss the three servants who bowed and left. Ichigo sat on the bed and stared at the tub for a long moment before he raised his hand and water leapt from his palm to fill the tub. Since his mom was a mage he could also use magic, the only one of the three kids who could. He never really told anyone about it, but he could use magic just as well as his Dragon powers. Ichigo stripped down to nothing and placed his hand in the water, warming it until steam rose from the top of the tub. Ichigo climbed into the bath and sighed in relief as the hot water covered his body to his neck.

He sat in the tub for a while, thinking about what he was going to do when thoughts of his beloved Rukia floated into his mind. He leaned his head against the wall of the tub and thought of the times they fucked. He suddenly felt cold and looked down to see the head of his now rock hard dick sticking out of the water. He looked at it for a moment, thinking about Rukia sucking on it and making him cum in her mouth and then riding him to another orgasm. He leaned his head against the tub and closed his eyes.

A cold draft ruffled the tent flaps and he opened his eyes to see Rukia standing there, in a think silk robe that didn't hide much. He could see her nipples, dark and hard under the robe, and the small nest of dark curls just above her sweet tasting pussy. She walked over to him after closing and tying shut the tent flap, leaning against the side of the tub in such a way that her robe opened a bit to show him the top of her breasts. Ichigo licked his lips and Rukia smiled at him.

"Hey there Ichigo, I've missed you," she said and leaned in to kiss him lightly on the lips. He could taste strawberries on her lips and he licked them, asking for entrance. Rukia complied and parted her lips so his tongue could enter her mouth. Ichigo felt a hand trace down his chest and grab his cock lightly. Rukia's hand was soft as she started to stroke him in the water.

"I've missed you too," Ichigo said against her lips, making her smile. She started to stroke him faster and faster, making Ichigo gasp for breath. He looked down at her hand and watched as she stroked him. Rukia grinned and kissed his cheek.

"I see you've missed this too," she said and he nodded, not being able to form any words. Ichigo reached his hand into her robe and started to play with her breasts as she played with his cock. Ichigo could feel his orgasm coming closer and closer, yet he couldn't speak. Ichigo reached down and quickly slipped a finger into Rukia's dripping wet cunt and she gasped in surprise, stopping her stroking which was all Ichigo needed. He thumbed her clit and she started playing with her nipples as she went back to stroking him. Rukia moved her hips against his hand, grinding against his fingers as she whimpered.

"Ichigo, I'm getting close," she moaned.

"I'll finish you if you finish me," he gasped and she shook her head but didn't stop stroking him.

"I want to fuck you," she said and Ichigo shoved a second finger into her making her scream in pleasure.

"I promise that I'll fuck you in all your holes, just finish me. It's been so long since you've done this for me," he moaned and Rukia gasped as her orgasm hit her hard.

"Ichigo!" she cried out as she came on his hand. The feeling of her walls closing on his fingers made him gasp and shoot cum all over Rukia's hand. She laughed in delight and licked her fingers. "I missed that taste," she said and Ichigo licked his fingers clean of her juices. Rukia pulled away and stripped her robe off, letting it drop to the floor. Rukia climbed into the tub and hovered above Ichigo's cock, taking it in her hand and rubbing the head against her folds. Ichigo and Rukia moaned together and she slowly lowered herself onto his dick, groaning as she tried to get used to his size.

"Oh fuck, so wet," Ichigo gasped and let his head fall back. "So warm and tight."

"God, I forgot how big you were," Rukia gasped and slowly started to ride him. Ichigo looked up, the sensation of Rukia's silky warm pussy covering his cock then uncovering it to the chilling water made an interesting, yet very erotic, feeling wash over him. Ichigo slowly moved his hips in time with hers and soon they fell into a nice medium paced rhythm. Ichigo reached up and cupped Rukia's breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. Rukia let out a throaty moan and tilted her head back. Ichigo smirked and reached up to grab Rukia's neck, to her surprise and pleasure, and started to fuck her fast and hard, the water in the tub sloshing around, some of it splashing over the sides. Rukia's hair and entire body quickly became drenched with water, which made her look all the more sexual.

"Ichigo! I'm gonna cum!" she screamed and clawed his chest. "Ichigo!" Rukia let out a scream as she came, and Ichigo groaned loudly as he came deep inside her sweet pussy. Rukia rode him a little longer before she stopped and looked down at him, her dripping hair clung to her face as she peeked at him through a few strands. Rukia pulled herself out of the tub and walked over to the cot, sitting down and patting the cot next to her. She spread her legs sensually as Ichigo slowly rose from the tub, his cock standing at attention, still just as hard as before.

Ichigo walked over to the cot and pushed Rukia down, laying on top of her. Ichigo took both her wrists and pinned them over her head before he pushed his dick into her slick folds again. Rukia squealed and wrapped her legs around his waist as he pounded into her. He leaned his head down and licked her nipples, biting them and sucking on them eliciting a nice moan from her. Ichigo groaned as the feeling of her soft warm pussy sliding against his dick again was too much. Ichigo tried to hold back but when Rukia broke free and pulled him down into a passionate kiss of tongue fighting Ichigo let go. Rukia swallowed his shouts as he came into her again, Ichigo returning the favor a few seconds later as Rukia came all over his cock.

"That was good," she said and Ichigo nodded with a smile as he gasped for breath. Ichigo lay back on the cot and watched as Rukia squatted over him. His dick was already covered in their combined juices, more of which dripped from Rukia's cunt. Rukia smirked and placed her knees on the outside of his legs, hovering just above him.

"You're still hungry for me huh?" he asked and she nodded.

"I'm your little whore," she said and dropped onto his dick. Ichigo's dick rapidly filling her pussy made Rukia scream loudly. Ichigo placed his hands on her hips as she bounced up and down on him, loving the feel of his cock filling her up. Ichigo missed this so much, the feeling of his mate fucking him after so long was so satisfying it was unreal. Rukia was gasping for breath so Ichigo pulled her down and licked at her breasts as he spread his legs wide and thrust into her hard and deep. Rukia placed her hands by his head as gasped, loving the feeling of his tongue tasting her breasts.

"Does my little whore love my dick?" Ichigo asked and Rukia nodded.

"I love it, god I love it so much," she gasped and collapsed onto him, too weak to hold herself up. Ichigo kissed her passionately, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth as his left hand massaged her breast. His right hand snuck down her body to her ass, which he slapped hard a few times making her gasp and moan, and his slipped his first finger into her ass. Rukia gasped and tried to pull away but Ichigo held her close.

"Keep still, you know you like the idea," he said and Rukia bite down on his neck.

"I'll try," she whispered sexily. "For you I'll try it."

Ichigo sucked on her pulse as he thrust into her pussy with his dick and finger fucked her ass. Rukia felt a pleasure like she never felt before. She loved the way Ichigo made her feel, and she knew that giving herself to him completely was the only thing she wanted. Rukia's body shook as another orgasm hit her. Ichigo let her lay on his chest for a bit while she recovered her strength.

"Okay, one last round then I'm done for today," she said and Ichigo grinned. "I'll try it, but I won't make any promises," she said and got off his dick, turning so her back was to him. He sat up and helped her off the bed before he led her to the table and bent her over it. Ichigo placed the head against her ass and pushed into her slowly. Rukia bit her lip, determined not to cry out even though the pain was unbearable. Tears ran down her face and dropped onto the desk as Ichigo stopped.

"It's all in," he said and Rukia nodded her approval. Ichigo wasted no time at all as he grabbed both her arms and pulled them back so her chest was off the table, but her stomach was still pressed against it. Ichigo fucked her hard and Rukia cried out in pain but he kept going. Rukia begged him to stop, that it hurt too much, but he kept going and going and soon she turned it around so she begged him not to stop. Rukia gasped loudly as her ass was stretched wide, but now it felt so good. Ichigo never knew this tightness before. He loved this feeling of power, loved the feeling of control and he enjoyed it as her pleas to stop changed to pleas of continuing.

"I'm cumming!" Rukia screamed loudly as she came hard. Ichigo came in her ass, Rukia loved the new interesting feeling of hot cum filling her ass and she came again. Ichigo let Rukia's arms go and Rukia fell against the table, her fingers scrapping against the wood. Ichigo pulled out of her and stood back, watching as his cum dripped from her pussy and her ass, dropping to the dirt under her. Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed in content.

He opened his eyes and found himself staring at the ceiling of his tent. He looked down at his dick which was limp again and he scrubbed his face with his hands. He quickly heated the now cold water again and grabbed the soap, washing himself clean of the day's dirt before he climbed from the tub and dried himself off. He lay down on the cot with the robe on and was quickly asleep.

* * *

Grimmjow sat in a chair, watching Nel change into a nearly see through green silk robe. He thumbed a small pinch of Tabaco into the bowl of his pipe and lit a match. He clamped his teeth around the stem and sucked on it, pulled the flame from the lit match onto the top of the Tabaco. Grimmjow waved the match in the air, putting it out, when he had lit the Tabaco enough to getting it smoking. He held the pipe by the bowl as Nel paced the tent.

"What's wrong sweet heart?" he asked and she looked at him and smiled, but it never touched her eyes.

"Nothing," she said and Grimmjow sighed, puffing on his pipe for a moment. He tilted his head back and blew smoke rings.

"Please don't bullshit me Nel. What's wrong?" he asked again and stared at her until she met his gaze.

"I'm afraid," she said and Grimmjow waited for her to continue. "I'm afraid that, all this, is going to disappear. I don't want to lose you, I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be. You think anyone can kill me?" Grimmjow chuckled and Nel glared at him.

"This isn't the time for your high and mighty thinking Grimmjow. This is serious. I don't want to lose you, I don't want to be alone. I'm afraid that we will lost this war, or that we will win at the cost of your life. I don't want to be without my mate I don't want my son and daughter to be without their father, I don't want-"

"Stop, what was that?" he asked and stood up, walking over to her.

"What was what?" she asked, not looking at him.

"Did you just say you don't want your kids to be without a father?" Nel looked at the floor and Grimmjow placed a finger under her chin and raised her face until she looked into his eyes. Her sand colored eyes were sad at the thought of losing him.

"Yes, I'm pregnant. It's been over a month since I was healed Grimmjow. You've fucked me once, but it was enough," she said and looked down, tears dropping to the ground. "I'm sorry!" Grimmjow pulled her into a hug, dropping his pipe onto the table.

"What for?" he asked.

"Because we never talked about kids. I know you always wanted some, but we never talked about it," Nel said as she hugged him.

"It's okay Nel, it will all be okay, I promise," he said and kissed her forehead. Nel sighed and squeezed him tightly.

"I love you Grimmy-bear," she said and Grimmjow smiled and lead her over to the cot.

"Lay down and go to sleep," he said and covered her with the blanket. He then stripped down to his underwear and climbed into cot next to her. Nel threw her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. Grimmjow stroked her hair as she took a deep breath. Grimmjow loved the feel of her soft hair in his hands; it was like silk to him. Nel looked up at him and sighed.

"I can't sleep Grimm, I'm still too worried," she said and Grimmjow smiled.

"I'll help you calm down," he said and ran his hand down her back slowly. The silk robe that covered her felt good in his hands as he rubbed her back softly. Nel sighed and closed her eyes, the silk exciting her and making her wet. Her hands clenched and unclenched on Grimmjow's shoulders. Grimmjow rolled Nel over and scooted against her back. He brought his hands up to cup her breasts, making Nel moan as the silk brushed against her hardening nipples. Grimmjow smiled against Nel's hair as she started to relax. He always loved the feel of her breasts, they were soft yet nice and firm with a nice shape to them. They were big, big enough were he couldn't quite get his hands around them but not too big.

"Grimmjow," Nel moaned his name softly as she reached behind her and ran a hand through his hair. Grimmjow played with her breasts for a while; squeezing them, playing with her nipples, kissing her neck. He slipped a hand into her robe and ran his fingers over her flat stomach until he got to her shaved pussy. He ran a finger over the edge of her folds and found that she was already soaking wet. Grimmjow slowly rubbed her clit, making Nel moan and pull his hair. Grimmjow slowly slipped a finger into her slick warm folds and Nel drew in a slow breath. Grimmjow pumped in and out slowly at first as he thumbed her clit and played with her breasts, trying to give her as much pleasure as possible.

"I love you Nel," he said as he added a second finger and Nel started to move her hips in rhythm with his fingers, brushing her nice ass against Grimmjow's dick. Grimmjow felt himself getting hard really fast now as she continued to grind against him. He wanted to pull away, this was supposed to be for her, but Nel scooted back against him as close as she could, the feeling of his dick against her ass made her even wetter.

"Grimmjow, I'm close," she moaned and Grimmjow kissed the sensitive spot at her neck as he increased the speed of his fingers. Nel gasped for breath as the pleasure started to overwhelm her senses. Grimmjow bit down hard on her neck and Nel let out a loud scream as her walls clamped down onto Grimmjow's fingers and he felt her juices pour onto his hand. Grimmjow smiled and pulled his fingers out of her cunt, licking them clean as she rolled onto her back and stared at him through her hair.

"Was that good?" he asked and she nodded.

"That was very good. I'm nice and relaxed now," she said and reached for his dick. "Let me relax you," she said and Grimmjow grabbed her hand and pulled hard. Nel gasped as she was dragged up to sit on Grimmjow's chest.

"No. Tonight I'm making sure you're going to sleep," he said and placed his hands on her nice firm ass and pulled until she was hovering above his face. Grimmjow reached up and licked her clit with the flat of his tongue. Nel gasped and twined her fingers in his hair as her eyes widened. Nel's chest heaved as Grimmjow licked her again, as slowly as he could, before he stiffened his tongue and licked her pussy. Nel could have cum again right then but she barely held it off. Nel pulled Grimmjow's hair as she felt her legs start to weaken, but she struggled to stay upright.

"Oh fuck," Nel gasped as Grimmjow started to lick the inside of her pussy, loving the taste of her on his tongue. Nel started to breath heavy as she tried to catch the breath that kept getting away. Grimmjow was enjoying himself and the effect he had on Nel. Nel couldn't see, the spots in front of her eyes were growing bigger the more and more he licked her, and he licked her like a dog that was dying of thirst. Grimmjow squeezed her ass as he licked her and Nel gasped loudly.

"I'm…I'm close," she gasped and tried to hold it back so she could get more out of it, but Grimmjow wasn't going to have that. "I'm so close," Nel gasped and Grimmjow sucked on her clit as he shoved a finger into her ass. Nel screamed again as she came all over Grimmjow's face. The feeling of his mouth on her clit and his finger in her ass was just too much. Grimmjow smiled and used his tongue to clean up Nel's pussy and thighs, making sure he didn't miss a single drop of her delicious cream.

"You tired yet?" Grimmjow asked as Nel fell onto the cot next to him. She nodded, too tired to make any words. She looked over at Grimmjow and kissed him lightly, the taste of her on his tongue was stimulating, but now she just rolled over and let Grimmjow curl up behind her, holding her tight as they both fell asleep.

* * *

Karin looked up at the mountain, knowing that Toshiro was up there wanted to get up there and see him, but she would have to wait one more day. She could hear screams from Nel and Grimmjow's tent and she sighed. The rest of the camp was spread out around the two in the center. Karin missed Toshiro and, for the hundredth time that day, she found herself rubbing her stomach.

"I miss you Toshiro, you were always the best part of me," she said and sighed as she walked back to the tent, her step picking up a bit when she thought about seeing him tomorrow.

* * *

**There you have the story, I hope everyone likes the surprise I put in there :)**


	22. Preperations For The War

**Well, here it is, the next chapter…and getting so close to the end…possibly three more chapters, four if you're all lucky. Only two reviews…hmmm, I must be worse at this than I thought, oh well time to make myself happy and go look at some hentai**

**To BlackHeart1723- I know, I'm such a horrible horrible horrible person…but here's the update.**

**To The Secret Shinigami- yeah sorry about the lack of updates for a while, but would you rather have a long wait and a chapter like that last one? Or a short wait and a bunch of shitty chapters?**

**Disclaimer: umm…nope, nothing of bleach except like 4 of the mangas…that's it**

* * *

Ichigo stood at the foot of the mountains, looking up as the sun started to climb over the horizon. Karin stood to his left, Grimmjow to his right, Nel next to Grimmjow and everyone else strung out behind. Ichigo had decided that only he, Karin, and Grimmjow would climb while the others would stay behind and prepare to march. Ichigo sighed and started up the path slowly, Karin right behind him. Grimmjow gave Nel one last loving kiss before he too started his walk. The people sent up a cheer as they climbed high and higher. Soon they came to the mouth of a cave, with a few trees outside and some brush. The people below could no longer be heard over the rush of wind through the rocks.

"Grab as many branches as you can for torches," Ichigo said as he grabbed a large pine branch and ripped it from the tree. Grimmjow and Karin followed suit as Ichigo took a step into the doorway. Ichigo breathed a small flame onto the branch and it lit quickly, smoking and then keeping lit. The three of them walked in the darkness for a while, not really sure how long because they were inside, but he had to have been a few hours. They finally came to a stop when the wide passage became a narrow corridor. Only large enough to walk one at a time. Ichigo took the lead, Karin right behind him as Grimmjow brought up the rear of the pack.

"Stop. I smell fresh air," Ichigo said and they all halted.

"There's no light ahead that we can see," Grimmjow said and Ichigo grunted. "But you're right, I smell fresh air."

"Let's go then," Karin barked. "I'm fucking tired of being in the dark."

"All right, but we go slowly, just in case," Ichigo said and stepped forward cautiously. They came to a corner and turned it, bright light showing at the end of the corridor. Ichigo was the first to step out, and he covered his eyes as the sun hit him with full force. Karin and Grimmjow came out behind him, both shielding their eyes as well. When their eyes finally got used to the sun they saw themselves at the edge of a cliff, that ended in jagged rocks a hundred feet down. The cliff ran to the left for a few hundred feet before it widened out to a large grove of trees. There was a lake with grass around it close to the edge of the trees, and the grass was wet as if it had just rained.

"How high up do you think we are?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo shrugged.

"I don't know, but we're getting close see," he pointed up and Karin and Grimmjow gasped when they saw a pair of large stone gates with a pair of dragons carved into the gates high above them. "That is the entrance to the Ranch."

Ichigo walked in the direction of the gates, looking around them at the trees. He knew some of the trees here, but most were new to him. The branches soon thickened as the three of them walked deeper and deeper into the woods. Soon it was as dark as night, the trees so tall and the branches so tangled that the ground was dry, like it had never rained here even though there was dew on the grass outside the grove. They all lit up a new set of torches to make their way down the path. Dust kicked up under their feet as they stepped through the trees.

"Shh, you hear that?" Ichigo asked and Grimmjow shrugged uncomfortably.

"I don't hear a thing," he said and Ichigo nodded.

"Exactly. I remember when I came here last a hundred years ago this place was filled with animals. Now, I don't even a bee."

"What happened?" Karin asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this," he said and started walking again. Soon they saw light coming from the end of the path and Ichigo extinguished his torch. Ichigo stopped short and drew Zangetsu and crouched down.

"I hear drums," Karin said softly as she and Grimmjow extinguished their torches.

"Yeah. This isn't good," Ichigo said and snuck towards the entrance of the tree tunnel. "Quick through here," he said and ducked between two tree trunks. Grimmjow and Karin dissolved into the shadows as two men walked towards where they had just been standing.

"I could have sworn that I saw something move in here."

"It's just your imagination, the trees haven't moved since we arrived. Let's go, I'm hungry," the two men disappeared out of the trees. Ichigo waited until Karin and Grimmjow were nearly on top of him before he spoke.

"Spread out. I want two trees between us. Walk to the edge of the wood and be careful not to be seen," he followed his own order by moving forward until he reached the light. He could hear the soft rustle of leaves as Grimmjow and Karin came to a stop as well. There was a long path leading up the side of the mountain, big enough for an army to march up, leading up to the gate. The trees were up on a hill, and down in the valley below there was another lake, and more grass. There was a large army, a couple thousand strong, waiting in the valley below them camped around the lake.

"Those are Tosen's colors. What are they doing here Ichi?" Karin asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"They aren't here to fight the prisoners here. There are too few men out here for that. They must be here to keep them from joining us. Enough men to keep them at bay and weaken their number. With a messenger," Ichigo pointed to a group of men who were standing by a large cage of pigeons.

"Want me to have some roast bird?" Grimmjow asked licking his lips.

"Yes. Make sure no bird survives. If we can kill everyone here without alerting Tosen then we can make a nice surprise move on him. Take his army by surprise and we can do some damage," Ichigo said and used his small belt knife to draw a quick plan in the dirt.

"So I'll take out the birds," Grimmjow said and used his finger to draw a line through the trees to behind the bird cage.

"Right, meantime will go to the path leading up to the gate and I will be here on the path to the wood. Once Grimmjow has taken out the birds we all start firing fireballs into the men."

"Any advice brother?" Karin asked.

"Yeah, burn them all ash," he said and crept over to hide by a tree next to the entrance to the wood. He waited, staring at the moon above him as clouds lazily floated past the moon, making shadows dance along the ground. A sudden roar had him on his feet, watching the bird cages. Fire rolled along the ground like a lava flow, burning everything in its path. Ichigo watched as the army started to move towards Grimmjow's position, and Ichigo formed a fireball in his hand and threw it as hard as he could. The fireball flew into the mass of men, exploding when it hit something. Ichigo readied another fireball, just as one from Karin flew into the men. Ichigo smiled as he threw his next one, the orange and purple fireball exploded, sending pieces of men flying. The army split into three large groups and charged each of the Dragon Warriors.

"Come on!" Ichigo shouted as he drew his sword. He readied a nice big stream of fire as the men got closer. He looked over at Karin's position at the corner of his eye, watching as fireballs flew into the men with quick succession. Ichigo looked back and saw that the men coming after him were almost up the path. Ichigo let the heat roll from his mouth down the hill. All he could hear was the roar of flames in his ears as he burned the enemy. Ichigo stopped the fire and jumped down the hill at the men who were still alive, a few hundred by the look of it, and slashed as he landed. A man's head went rolling as the men around him stumbled back. Ichigo rolled down the hill a few feet, slashing at the legs that rolled past him, before he rolled to his feet, slashing another man across the chest.

The others quickly converged on him, swinging swords and spears. Ichigo flitted from one man to the next; laying open this one's neck, gutting the next one, cutting off that one's head. After a few seconds Ichigo was dancing around a small killing field, the ground under his feet turned to mud from the blood that washed it. Ichigo raised Zangetsu, watching the moon glint off the blood that ran in small streams down the blade. His hands were covered in blood, as was his shirt and pants. Ichigo blocked the overhead strike and deflected the sword before stabbing the man in the neck. As Ichigo pulled the sword free he turned and ducked under the swing and slashed upwards, severing the soldier's arm just above the elbow, then taking off his head.

Already many were down, but there were still more, and Ichigo was quickly getting drained of energy after a day of climbing. Ichigo slashed one man deep across the face and flung his arm out, setting fire to the man who charged in on his left. The other soldiers stepped back as the man ran around in a circle, screaming in pain as the fire ate away at his skin. Ichigo took that time to stab his sword into the ground and change. The soldiers stepped back even more as a giant orange dragon stood where a man had a split second before.

Ichigo swung his tail in a wide arc, clearing a nice chunk of soldiers from life. He breathed fire on the ones in front of him, listening to the satisfying screams of the men who were now burning their lives away. Ichigo tensed his legs and launched into the air, flying around the field as Karin and Grimmjow joined him. They all started to burn the men who were now running back towards the trees. Ichigo landed between them and the trees, using his tail to bat one man down the hill. He bite the torso off another man, leaving his legs to wobble as they fell, as he stabbed another man through the chest with his tail before splitting him into four large pieces.

Now the men were huddled together, still a few hundred left, throwing down their weapons and begging for mercy. Ichigo walked up to them and roared, sending the soldiers into a fit of crying and praying. Grimmjow stood next to him as Karin changed back and waited off to the side. Ichigo regarded the men for a second before he opened his jaws and spewed fire onto the huddled men. Grimmjow joined in and orange and purple mixed with blue and green. When Ichigo was out of breath he changed back into a human and walked over to where his sword was stuck into the ground. The stench of burning flesh and blood hung in the air, filling his nose and making his want to gag.

"All clear now. I don't know if any escaped, but I know they never had a chance to launch a bird," Grimmjow said.

"Good. If any try to escape our men will get them," Ichigo said and wiped his sword clean on the shirt of one of the dead. "Let's go see if my father is alive still," Ichigo started his walk up path to the gates. Karin and Grimmjow gasped in wonder the closer they got to the gates. The gates were at least 500 feet wide and at least twice as tall. The dragons that were carved into the stone were actually standing out of the stone. Vines crept up the gates, clinging to the dragons and chipping some stone away, little bits at a time.

"How on earth did they make these things? They are massive," Grimmjow said in amazement and Ichigo shrugged.

"It's been here longer than me, longer than even Yamamoto I think. It was probably built by the first Dragons, which is why they are so big," The dragons were standing on their hide legs, wings mid spread and forearms reaching out towards each other, like they were fighting. The tips of their foreclaws, touched, as well as the lower claw on their hind legs which ended head height on Ichigo.

"How do we get inside?" Karin asked and Ichigo walked up to the split in the door where the lower most claws of the dragon touched and used his hands to channel fire onto the tip of each claw. The stone turned red as the fire touched it, and slowly the outline of the door appeared in red. The door swung open slowly as Ichigo stepped back. The stones groaned and creaked loudly, making Grimmjow and Karin wince in pain. Ichigo, having been here once before, ignored it calmly as he waited. When the gates were open far enough for him to fit through Ichigo stepped into the darkness, Grimmjow and Karin right behind him. Dust and stones were falling with the opening gates and light slowly spilled in from the moon, lighting just a little bit of the entrance way.

"Be prepared. We have a ways to go yet."

"How do we know when we get there?" Karin asked as Ichigo lit a torch.

"The prisoners will find us," he said and started walking. Grimmjow and Karin shared a look before they followed him yet again. Grimmjow lit up his pipe as they walked past large dragon statues flanking the hall.

"Where did those come from?" Grimmjow asked.

"Rumor has it, from Yamamoto himself, that these are vessels for the souls of the first four dragons. The Dragon Lords of Water, Fire, Air, and Earth. The other dragons made the statues so that when the first dragons died they would have a place to wait until the first Dragon Emperor, the Dragon of Spirit, returned. Most believe that these are just children's tales, myself included. This place was first their home, their fortress. After the wars it became a prison."

"Interesting. I wonder how they would feel about this place becoming a prison."

"Who knows, and right now, who cares?" Ichigo answered and stopped just in front of a large statue that had been shattered like a glass hit with a sledgehammer. Each dragon they had passed had marks on the chest, just below the neck. Waves for water, a mountain for earth, clouds for air, and flames for fire. This dragon had a ball one its chest.

"The Dragon of Spirit?" Karin asked and Ichigo nodded.

"Well what have we here?" they heard a voice say and turned to face 8 people wearing masks and carrying different weapons.

"It seems like what the old man said was true. Ichigo Kurosaki has come for our help," the shortest one said.

"Take those things off so I can see you," Ichigo said and one of them laughed.

"When we get back to the square we will. Come with us, your father is waiting," the man became serious and turned on his heel. The rest of them turned and walked away.

"Do we go with them?" Karin asked as Grimmjow stared after the group.

"Yes. They are the ones we are here to find," Ichigo walked off after them, Grimmjow and Karin right behind.

"Who are they?" Grimmjow asked, his hand resting on his sword.

"They are the Visoreds. 8 of the most powerful Dragon Warrior Captains and Lieutenants to live. They are Shinji, Hiyori, Love, Rose, Mashiro, Kensei, Lisa, and Hachi. They were placed here after being found guilty of experimenting on themselves to gain the ability to use magic. They wanted more power, so they tried to become a mage-dragon hybrid," Ichigo stopped himself.

"Oh come now. It gave us immense power, and we love it," one of them men said. "Besides, how are you any different than us?"

"Unlike you I was born half of each. I did not do this to myself to gain power. Even so I never use magic," Ichigo said as they all walked into a large room with a high ceiling. There were cages sitting along the walls full of people, including Isshin, Yamamoto, and Toshiro. The rest of the dragon warriors that had gone with Isshin were there too.

"Ichigo my boy. I told them you would come," he said with a laugh. He had a cut down his cheek and a black eye.

"I see you have kept them well," Ichigo said and the 8 masked ones removed the cover from their faces.

"Yes, we did didn't we?" Shinji said and looked at the cages. "So sad that only they are here. Tell me, where are my old friends Shunsui and Ukitake?" Shinji asked.

"Dead. As are most of the Captains and Lieutenants. The only Lieutenants left are Grimmjow and Yachiru. Isshin, Yamamoto, Toshiro, myself, Urahara, Kenpachi, and Unohana are the only Captains alive."

"That is a shame," Shinji said and Ichigo snorted.

"Because they are dead or because you didn't get to kill them yourself?" Ichigo asked and Shinji shook his head.

"We forgave all of you a long time ago. We know you were just trying to protect everyone, and we can understand that. Yes it hurt to be betrayed by all those we saw as friends, but over time we came to understand it," Love said and most of the others nodded.

"We decided once the Captains here told us what was going that we would help you, with one condition," Rose said next as he ran his fingers through his long hair.

"What would that be?" Ichigo asked and Shinji turned his gaze from Hiyori to Ichigo.

"We want to be part of the Dragon Warriors again. We know you are the Emperor and you have the power to do it," Shinji said and Ichigo stood there for a moment before nodding.

"Okay. You have a deal," he said and Lisa walked over to the cages and unlocked them. "If you had agreed to help us why keep them locked up?"

"Because we needed to know if you were going to help us," Hiyori finally spoke.

"I have tried keeping them calm, and have healed all their wounds, but as usual your father likes to fight," Hachi said as Isshin walked out of the cage, giving his grin to everyone.

"What can I say it's true," he laughed as Ichigo shook his head. Karin ran over to Toshiro and gave him a rough hug which he returned, albeit lightly. Isshin and Ichigo shared a quick father son hug before they stood next to each other.

"The enemy that was camped outside has been dealt with. Those that aren't dead are running straight down the hill into a camp of our men," Ichigo said and Kensei growled.

"I'll make sure they are gone," he turned on his heel and walked away.

"I'll go with you!" Mashiro ran after him.

"So what's the plan?" Love asked when the Captains and Visoreds had gathered together.

"We take all the troops that we have and march on Seireitei City where Tosen has made his capital," Ichigo said as Rose pulled out a map and spread it on the table. "Its right there, a two week march from here. With any luck none of the enemy escaped here and no birds either, so they won't be expecting us."

"What's the enemy strength?" Lisa asked as she adjusted her glasses.

"20,000 at least," Ichigo said and Shinji whistled.

"20,000 men. Anyone with them?" Hachi asked and Ichigo shook his head, knowing what he meant.

"No. Tosen is against all nonhumans. I believe we may have to face a few Shades, but other than that, no Dragon Warriors, no mages, just humans."

"Rules of engagement?" Hiyori asked.

"Kill everyone," Ichigo said sternly and the other Captains shared a look, wondering what had happened to make him so hard.

"Good, I like it that way," Hiyori smiled as Lisa bent over the map.

"Why are we attacking him? I want a good reason other than 'he's against all nonhumans' okay?"

"How about he waged war against all Dragon Warriors, what you have here and the 2000 that I have are all that's left. He took my mate captive and he's planning on wiping out everyone," Ichigo said and Lisa nodded.

"Fair enough. I'm going to get ready. I propose we leave now so that we can get to the bottom by day break," Lisa said and Shinji nodded.

"That's a good idea. What's the battle plan?" He asked and Ichigo looked over to Rose who was looking at other maps.

"Here is a map of Seireitei City and its surrounding area. It looks like there is a nice hill here to the north where we can charge down from, or make them come to us. It's only a small mountain pass, but large enough where they can't go around without us seeing, and our numbers can bunch together and hold as long as we can," he said and Ichigo nodded.

"I have about 500 horse with me, the rest are spear and bow infantry. I propose that we hold the front line with a combination of spear and sword infantry halfway up the hill, the bows spread out behind them on the top of the hill. The cavalry can wait at the back for when we need to make a charge."

"Sounds good, but we need to hold some infantry in reserve to take the place of the tired men at the front of the line," Urahara said and Isshin nodded.

"We can also have mages and a few Dragon Warriors spread out amongst the bows to throw fire down into the enemy," Isshin said and then pointed to the south wall. "If I'm not mistaken there should be a drain in the wall, large enough for a man to crawl through. We could send a few men into the city to wreak havoc on food supplies and possibly rescue Rukia."

"Yes. That would be a good plan. I'll go with them," Ichigo said and Isshin shook his head.

"No, the Emperor must stay with the men to lead them and rally them if need be," Isshin said and Ichigo opened his mouth to argue but Shinji spoke first.

"Keep in mind that we fight for you, not any of them," he gestured to the Captains. "Where you go we go," he said making his point and Ichigo looked at Grimmjow.

"Let Nel come with me, and let me choose my own men and I'll do it," he said and Ichigo sighed before nodding.

"Go pick your men," Grimmjow bowed and walked off.

"Is everything in order?" Yamamoto asked and Ichigo straightened and sighed.

"As well as it can be. We have one shot at this, let's hope we can do this. 5,000 men versus 20,000. Not the best odds but they are manageable."

"Good. Now, I see by darling daughter Karin has come to see her old man, but where is Yuzu?" he asked in his usually cheerful manner, and Ichigo avoided his eyes. "Where is Yuzu?" he asked, his voice hardening.

"She's gone," Ichigo said and looked at the ground.

"What?" Isshin asked and turned to his son.

"She was killed by Shades under the employ of Tosen," Ichigo said and Isshin's mouth worked furiously. "I'm sorry."

"Where is she?" he asked softly, tears coming to his eyes.

"I buried her next to mom," Ichigo said and Isshin took a deep breath before nodding. "At least Masaki will have someone to keep her company."

"Dad," Isshin held up a hand.

"I trusted their lives to you, and you failed in that," he said and Ichigo's shoulder slumped.

"Dad, it's not his fault. We were all caught unaware. Yuzu was attacked from behind in the kitchen while Nel and I just stood there. A Dragon Warrior and a Mage couldn't stop her death. It's not Ichi's fault, he came when he could and saved the rest of us. You're lucky that it was just Yuzu, what about me? I could have died," Karin said and Isshin looked at her.

"I love you Karin, but I loved Yuzu too."

"But she was your favorite because she was so much like mother," Karin said. "Yuzu was not your only child. You still have me, and you still have Ichigo. Mourn Yuzu when this war is over, not before. Mourn for the dead later, take care of the living now, right?" she asked quoting him from long ago.

"Right. I'm sorry," he sniffled and rubbed his nose. "Let's get this over with."

"I will stay here for now, and try to convince the Elders to join us," Hachi said and walked off before anyone could say another word.

"Are we ready to go?" Ichigo asked and everyone still there nodded. "Good. Tonight we prepare for battle, tomorrow we march to deaths and glory. The end of this war is upon us, let's end this."

* * *

**Oh boy, the Visoreds are in on it now…and so it begins.**


	23. Final Battle- The First Day

**Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long to update. Ive been having personal trouble, and then I started writing and it took forever…but when you have 14 pages in the chapter its bound to take a while to write :D this chapter has a few twists and turns, and the battle starts. So I've decided that I'm going to work on Dragon Wars until its done before I go back to Mindcrime. Only a few more chapters so bear with me. Now on to the reviewers.**

**To BlackHeart1723- they will, its going to be a large scale battle and many will die…and someone will win, but who? ;)**

**To The Secret Shinigami- good, cause I hope this will settle you for awhile.**

**To Ochoa- yes, it is time for the fight to commence!**

**To Insane Fangirl 4- politics is always part of a story, especially one like this. Human nature is one of "reproduce, money, and violence" Yes, I hope the two sex scenes tied people over cause those were the last for this story I'm sorry to say. I will admit that I love violence, it keeps me entertained a lot…"they have a pretty solid plan and everything should go kinda smoothly" girl do you not remember who you are reading. When does anything I write go "smoothly"? I hope you keep readying loyally, I will have more stories up so long as I have ideas and reviewers…I seem to have lost some of them but it is what it is.**

**Now onto the story! Disclaimer-I do not own bleach…blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.**

* * *

Ichigo lay on his stomach on the hill as he surveyed the field before him. Tosen's army was camped exactly where they had been expected too. The day was ending and Tosen's army was getting ready for sleep. Ichigo had been watching most of the day from the mountain pass where they had chosen to defend once the battle began. Tosen's men would train in groups, often fighting each other in hand to hand, fighting dummies, or even having duals. But no scouts had been sent out, so Ichigo figured that nothing had gotten through to warn them. That was a good sign, and now Ichigo was certain that they had the advantage and he was ready to go.

Grimmjow crawled up next to him and observed the enemy camp. He stayed silent as the sun set over the city in front of them. This was a good position as the sun would come up behind them in the morning, blinding the enemy severely. The afternoon sun wouldn't be as bad considering the men had to look down instead of up, and his archers would be firing down into the enemy rather than up.

"So what's the plan now that we're here?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo pointed down the hill a ways where there were seven large rocks stuck in the ground.

"Let's dig out under those rocks and set them on fire. We can roll them into the enemy camp, or wait until the battle starts to take out more men. The spears should line up where the rocks are, with the swordsmen right behind. After a few ranks they should be intermingled to increase effectiveness of both."

"And the archers will be behind them on the hill?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo nodded.

"Right here should be fine. They will have the perfect vantage point to shoot down into the enemy. Crossbows and Longbows will be mixed and firing as fast as they can. We have plenty of carts with arrows and bolts and, if need be, we can always scavenge after the battle."

"Right, what about the cavalry?"

"They will sit behind the hill, along with the remaining men who will act as reinforcements. When the men on the front get tired we will send the fresh men through, or if they breach us. I want 1000 men on the front lines at first, all the archers we can fit onto the hill behind them, and the remaining men will stand behind the hill and wait."

"Good, now let's go back to camp. I'm getting hungry," they scooted down the hill until they couldn't be seen and stood up. Both men walked down the hill and passed through their guard lines, walking to the camp. Lucky for them there was a forest behind them which provided shelter and firewood. Ichigo had everyone dig massive burrows into the dirt, covering the walls with large timbers, before piling huge heaps of freshly cut branches over the tops. There were large tree trunks set into the ground and planks set across the top to keep everything up. It had taken more than a week, but during that entire time no one had found them.

The branches over the burrows were tall enough and thick enough that the fires inside kept everyone warm on the cooling nights and helped disperse the smoke as it rose, making sure the fires weren't spotted by light or smoke. Ichigo walked into one of the smaller burrows that he had to himself, Grimmjow and Nel shared one next to him, and every Captain had their own. Ichigo walked over to the small wood table that sat against one wall, his cot against the back wall. Ichigo dragged the branch door across the front of the burrow hole and sat down on the cot.

There was a small fire pit in the middle of the floor which he lit from his cot as he thought. It was going to be a tough fight, and he wasn't sure the men were ready for it. They had tried something similar at Toshiro's Palace, and it had failed miserably. Most of his men were gone and Tosen still had a large army at his disposal, which under Tosen's hand it would be disposable. There was a short knock on the door and Ichigo answered it. Kenpachi opened the door and stooped into the burrow.

"There are men here to see you," he said and Ichigo stood up and followed Kenpachi back out into the night. They walked to the edge of the camp where a small group of soldiers were watching a large group of men and women.

"I am Ichigo Kurosaki, the leader of this army. State your business," he said and a man stepped forward. He was covered in a black cloak and had two knifes at his waist.

"I am a simple farmer, and also a Shade. I have gathered Readers, Seekers, Mages, Shades, and Replicators to me and brought them to you. The world is speaking of your march, secretly of course, to all those who support you. I came ahead to tell you that we are coming."

"There are people coming to help us?" Ichigo asked and the man nodded.

"The closest group is three days away and marching fast," Ichigo nodded to him in thanks.

"Show these people to where they can make homes," he said and waited as everyone passed him. When they were gone he turned to Kenpachi. "Tell the men to prepare themselves. We must get into position. We start our attack just before dawn, and we must hold out for three days."

"What about the group to go into the city?" he asked and Ichigo looked at where the new people had gone.

"Send a few of those Shades with Grimmjow. They will be more than helpful," he said and Kenpachi nodded. "Fold the rest into our own troops."

Kenpachi left with the new group that had arrived as Ichigo stood there and watched. It felt good knowing that people would still come to help those that had defended their lives for hundreds of years. Ichigo looked up into the sky and smiled. Come morning he would show those against him just what kind of monster he could be. He was going to show them all just what he could do.

* * *

Rukia sat on the bed she had been given months ago when she was brought back to Seireitei City. It was her old room, but updated with portraits of Tosen. Tosen had made himself king of the entire land, and Seireitei City the Capitol of his nation. Rukia sighed and stared out the window towards the mountain pass in the distance. She could swear that she saw someone sitting there on a horse, and that the hill was moving in the moon light, but she dismissed it as silly hopes.

"You still hope every day that he will come. So far he hasn't, and he never will. If he does it will be the death of him," Tosen said from the door way. Rukia ignored him and continued to stare out the window. "Have it your way. You could be the queen of a new world."

"No thanks," Rukia said and Tosen growled before he left the room. Rukia walked over to the bed and threw herself onto it, crying herself to sleep. Dreams came quickly, dreams of Ichigo touching her, making love to her, sitting on the hill coming to get her.

* * *

Ichigo sat on his horse on top of the hill. His men were still working on the stones as the others lined up behind. The archers were waiting behind the hill as the spears lined up, shoulder to shoulder with more spears and swordsmen behind them. Ichigo watched the enemy camp gravely as the sky started to turn a light pink color just behind them. Grimmjow had left a few hours ago, and should be waiting at the drain to enter once the battle began. Ichigo took a deep breath as Kenpachi walked up to him through the lines and stood next to the horse.

"The men are all in place, and the stones are ready to be set alight and sent into the camp. Shall I give the order?" he asked and Ichigo smiled and nodded, looking at the city. The highest tower was where the throne was, as Byakuya had told him. Seireitei City, long ago it was the only city, during the wars a thousand years ago it was a fortress for the humans, the only one that wasn't razed to the ground. It was the city from which humans had ruled themselves until the agreement.

"Men! Fire the stones!" Kenpachi called out and Dragon Warriors stepped forward. They breathed fire onto the boulders as battle horns sounded from on top the hill. Ichigo could see the tents below shuddering as men crawled out to see what was going on. There were shouts from below as officers tried to gather men. "Roll the stones!" Kenpachi shouted with a grin as the bells in his hair rang with the sudden gust of wind. Mages pushed the large boulders which bounced down the hill with a loud thundering roar, trailing smoke and fire behind them. The flaming boulders rushed into the camp, spreading fire amongst the tents and smoke into the air.

"Archers!" Ichigo called out and raised his hand. "Loose!" he flung his arm forward and the snap of strings against bows and crossbows sounded from behind him. Flaming arrows and steel bolts landed amongst the men below as they tried to gather themselves. A few officers had gotten men together and had them charging up the hill as fast as they could. "Ulquiorra! Keep the archers firing!" Ichigo shouted and Ulquiorra nodded. Ichigo watched as the arrows and bolts kept raining down into the enemy, knocking many of them down, though some managed to get back up.

Ichigo watched as the first group of men to make it up the hill were cut down quickly, within a matter of minutes, their blood and bodies went sliding down the hill making the men coming up behind them slip and fall. Ichigo slowly climbed down from his horse and sent the creature running through the back lines. He took a quick look behind him to see the other Captains, as well as Yachiru, waiting with the remainder of the Moon Guards and the newly reformed Death Guard. The Death Guard was an Elite troop of men and women who had guarded the Captains of the Kurosaki Family during the wars hundreds of years ago. When the Kurosaki Family had split into different Divisions the Death Guard was disbanded, though most of the men and women had continued to train their children to take up the name. The Death Guard wore thick heavy armor blacker than night, and wielded large claymores and two handed battle axes with double heads.

Ichigo nodded to his father who stood at the head of the Death Guard, waiting for orders to join the battle. Isshin nodded back, he hefted his sword slightly as the sun came up behind him. Ichigo turned back to the battle, the sun now high enough in the sky that it was shining over the hill into the eyes of the men trying to rush his lines. The enemy archers were firing, but their arrows and bolts fell short, killing their own men more often than not. Ichigo waited patiently as the enemy slowly withdrew beyond range of his bows and gathered themselves.

"Prepare yourselves men! They get ready to come in force," he said and the Dragon Warriors cheered, shaking weapons at the enemy. Ichigo smiled as, en masse, the enemy came forth with a battle cry of "For the Humans!" Ichigo raised his sword up and let out a wordless scream which his men echoed in defiance to Tosen. The enemy got closer and closer, Ulquiorra watching from up above as the farthest arrow was soon covered by enemy troops.

"Fire!" he screamed and arrows and bolts plunged into the army. Men were cut down quickly, but because there were thousands of men their numbers didn't seem to dwindle any. Mages and Dragon Warriors started to throw fireballs into Tosen's army, the large explosions sending men flying in all directions.

With a loud roar the men charged up the hill as fast as they could and clashed with the front line of spears. Ichigo watched as the men in the front lines were impaled on the spears, their dead falling bodies ripping the spears from hands. Those now defenseless spearmen were cut down quickly and Tosen's men advanced, pushing up the hill by sheer numbers alone.

"Hold the line!" Ichigo shouted and drew his sword, running down the hill. He pushed through his own lines and, with a loud feral scream, plunged into Tosen's men. He slashed around him, blocking swords, cutting off limbs, blood flowed around him and he struggled to keep his footing. He noticed that a few of the others had joined him. Ichigo slashed the man in front of him, cutting him across the chest, before he turned and buried Zangetsu into the skull of the man to his right. Ichigo ducked under the swing of yet another man, cutting him across the back, before slashing another man at an upward angle from right hip to left shoulder. Ichigo felt a hand grab his shoulder and a sharp pain in his side. He looked over to see a man with an eye patch grinning at him.

"You must be Ichigo Kurosaki, I am Nnoitra," the man said and got closer. "And I am going to kill you," he pushed Ichigo away, leaving the short knife in his side, and pulled his spear with two crescent moon shaped blades from the ground. Ichigo ripped the knife from his side and threw it to the ground, pointing his sword at Nnoitra.

"Why are you fighting for Tosen?" he asked and Nnoitra laughed.

"Because I can. He made me more powerful and I will end this war for him, by personally putting this sword through your heart!" he shouted and launched himself at Ichigo.

Ichigo barely blocked the strike and he stumbled back, barely catching his footing before he fell down the hill. Nnoitra kept up the attack, swinging and stabbing at Ichigo. Ichigo blocked the downward swing just inches from his face and went to one knee as he struggled to get up. He looked over at Toshiro who was fighting a black man with spikes coming from his head. Kenpachi was fighting a rather large man who kept yelling and was turning red in the face.

"Give it up Kurosaki, you can never beat me!" Nnoitra shouted and kicked Ichigo in the side of the head. Ichigo rolled across the ground and came up swinging, satisfied to hear a scream. He looked up and saw Nnoitra stumbling back, his left thigh cut to the bone.

"Never beat you huh? Looks like I hurt you pretty bad there," Ichigo stood up, a large grin on his face.

"Never in your life!" Nnoitra shouted and Ichigo gasped as Nnoitra's leg healed itself.

"What are you?" he asked and Nnoitra swung his spear, Ichigo blocking only a bit before Nnoitra forced it down until it stuck into Ichigo's left shoulder. Ichigo felt blood pour down his arm as the top crescent stuck into his bone. Ichigo was forced to his knees before Nnoitra ripped the blade from his shoulder, nearly taking his arm off.

"Tosen created us, we are Hybrid Mages and Dragon Warriors. We are a new breed and we are stronger than you," Nnoitra said and Ichigo looked at the ground, his hand on his shoulder as he tried to hold the blood in. He felt a fire burning in his chest and it wasn't the fire of a Dragon Warrior. Nnoitra brought the spear down towards Ichigo's head and his eye widened when Ichigo reached up with his right hand and caught it without looking at him, or losing his hand.

"You are stronger than me huh? You were created with these powers?" Ichigo stood up and his hand tightened on the blade. "Well you may have been created like this, but I was born like this," Ichigo looked at him, lightning flashing from his eyes to strike Nnoitra in the chest. Nnoitra flew backwards, dropping his spear. Ichigo stood up and grabbed his sword off the ground as Nnoitra landed a few feet away.

"Damn it, your bastard," Nnoitra growled as he pushed himself to his feet. Ichigo turned and stabbed a man in the stomach, punching him in the face as he fell back. Ichigo turned back to Nnoitra who was wiping blood from the corner of his mouth and checking the large burn mark on his chest.

"Let's see who is better," Ichigo said and used his Dragon blood to harden his flesh. Nnoitra focused a ball of lightning at his fingertips and rushed at Ichigo, his right hand pulled back as if to stab. Ichigo swung his sword as Nnoitra reached him and there was a blast of energy that knocked over all the men in the space. Both sides had left a gap around them, and around Toshiro and Kenpachi and their opponents, so as not to harm their own officers. Now everyone was on the ground as the smoke and bloody mud kicked up from the attack settled back down, some of it covering the men laying on the ground. Ichigo stood there in a stance, calmly holding onto the hilt of Zangetsu. Nnoitra had his fingers pressed against Ichigo's stomach, both men just stood there before everyone realized that Nnoitra was stuck onto Zangetsu by his neck. His left arm was missing, and blood was spurting from the missing limb as more blood flowed from around the sword in his neck. Nnoitra slowly raised his hand to the sword and pulled on it carefully as his lungs filled with blood.

Ichigo pulled the sword back a bit and then all the way out of Nnoitra's neck, reaching up and pushing him over with his foot. Nnoitra's body slid down the hill as Ichigo fell to one knee, holding onto the sword to keep him up. That's when everyone noticed that there was a large hole burnt through Ichigo's stomach. Ichigo's men rushed down the hill with a roar and pushed back Tosen's men and the two officers that Toshiro and Kenpachi had been fighting. Once they were past Ichigo though they stopped and allowed the archers to keep firing. Kenpachi and Toshiro grabbed Ichigo and carried him up the hill.

"Pull back to your previous position!" Ulquiorra shouted and the men slowly pulled back as Tosen's archer started to find their marks. As the men slowly pulled back up the bloody hill their archers kept firing down. Men fell on both sides before they split and went to their camps, well Ichigo's men stayed at their positions, civilians bringing food to those men on the lines. The sun was high in the sky, midday. Only halfway through the first day and one enemy officer was down, though now Ichigo knew it would be much harder to win than before.

"Ken…pachi…count the…men," Ichigo gasped and Kenpachi nodded though he kept his arm around Ichigo.

"You!" Kenpachi barked at a soldier who was passing by. "Go get Unohana!" he said and the soldier rushed off to obey. You'll be okay Ichigo."

"Toshiro…You're in…charge brother…keep this one…in line," he said speaking about Kenpachi.

"Yes Ichigo," he said and nodded to Kenpachi who grinned.

"Keep me in line, ha!" Kenpachi laughed and Toshiro shook his head but smiled. It was going to be a long rest of the day.

* * *

Grimmjow was the first to crawl through the drain and into the city. He was followed closely by Nel and a few men chosen for this mission. The signal for his entrance had come about ten minutes prior, with the boulders on the hill crashing into the enemy camp. Within minutes Tosen's troops were trying to get to Ichigo. Grimmjow stood up slowly and looked around. There weren't any people walking around and that worried him a lot. He slowly walked forward, drawing his sword as Nel let fireballs hover over her palms. The Shades that were with them drew their knives as well before slipping into the shadows.

There were two guards at the end of the alley they were in. The Shades quickly took care of that threat, allowing Grimmjow and Nel to slowly exit the alley. Grimmjow looked up and pointed to the tower.

"According to Byakuya that's where she'll be," he said and Nel started a quick walk towards the tower.

"Let's go then," she said and Grimmjow followed, both aware of the Shades scouting ahead of them. If they were lucky they would be able to get to the tower without any incidents.

* * *

Kenpachi grinned to himself as he watched the enemy start up the hill again. It had only been about two hours since the end of the first small skirmish, but only about 100 total dead and wounded had been lost for the Dragon Warriors, and the enemy's dead was counted at just over 500. Ichigo had managed to kill one of the higher ranking officers, and had interrupted the fight between Kenpachi and his own officer who had called himself Yammy. Kenpachi was looking for him again as he had been enjoying the fight. He had told Yachiru to stay back with the Death Guard and she had made no arguments over it since Byakuya was in the back lines.

At some point during their travels Byakuya and Ichigo had agreed that when Tosen was dead Byakuya would take over as the king in Tosen's place and there would be peace between the Dragon Warriors and the humans. They had agreed that there would be two nations from now on, and peace would reign…but Kenpachi knew only war so he was hoping to find a challenge here that would be able to kill him. Kenpachi drew his sword, the one with no name, and raised it over his head to the cheers of those around him.

"I am no talker!" he shouted. "But take heart here men, we can win this!" the army cheered and then roared in defiance as Tosen's men got closer and closer. Ichigo was smarter than him when it came to battle, though Kenpachi could make a decent battle plan. He would have just had the men charge down the hill, and would more than likely have been slaughtered, where placing the men on top the hill made the enemy come to them. It was either come to them or get killed by arrows and balls of fire.

Kenpachi let out a roar and violently rammed his sword into a man's stomach as he came up the hill. Kenpachi drew his sword free and swung at the man who came up behind him, cutting off his head. The now headless soldier went falling down the hill, blood spurting from his neck. Kenpachi opened his mouth and let out a stream of fire, laughing in triumph as a large group of men in front of him caught fire and started to burn. As the men did a little dance trying to put out the flames more men pushed past and were cut down by Kenpachi.

"You can't beat me!" he screamed and swung his sword cutting men down two or three at a time. Suddenly his sword stopped mid swing and he looked up to see Yammy standing there, holding his sword.

"I can," Yammy growled and punched Kenpachi in the face. Kenpachi went flying into his own lines knocking men over. Soldiers rushed forward to fight Yammy but were flung away by his fists swinging back and forth. Kenpachi stood up, grinning as he swung his sword at Yammy. The sword slashed down Yammy's chest without making a scratch.

"This is going to be fun!" Kenpachi shouted and jumped into the air, kicking Yammy in the face. As Yammy stumbled back Kenpachi gutted a man who came at him, spear aimed at his chest.

"You'll have to do better than that you bastard!" Yammy shouted and drew his sword. Kenpachi grinned and launched himself at Yammy, trading blows and blocks. Kenpachi swung his sword and was finally rewarded with a giant cut along Yammy's chest. The cut wasn't deep but it caused Yammy to stagger back and scream in rage.

"I finally cut you!" Kenpachi growled loudly and then his eyes widened when a ball of fire struck him in the chest. A ball of fire from Yammy. Kenpachi quickly hardened his skin just as the fireball struck him and he went flying backwards. Yammy walked over slowly as Kenpachi slowly stood up, his whole chest and left arm burned by the fireball despite the hardened skin, and the chest part of his armor was gone.

"Let me enlighten you on something, Dragon Warrior Captain. You are nothing compared to me! Tosen made me with the blood of Dragon Warriors and Mages. I have both powers and I am a thousand times stronger than you!" he shouted and reached for Kenpachi. Kenpachi ducked under the outstretched hand and slashed upwards. Yammy screamed in rage again as he stomped around the hill, looking for the remains of his right arm.

"A hybrid huh? Just like Ichigo. You won't be that hard to beat. I just have to hurt you enough until you die of blood loss," Kenpachi stood up and watched as Yammy walked towards him in a rage. Kenpachi ignored the pain in his burned hand as he clenched his fingers around the hilt. The charred skin on his shoulder cracked, leaking blood, as he raised his arms straight over his head. Yammy charged at Kenpachi who, just as Yammy got within range, swung his sword down.

Kenpachi let loose all the power he could with that swing, and the blade cut through Yammy, from crown to balls. A large shockwave of air cut a swath through the men behind him, killing many and throwing many more down the hill. Kenpachi stood there, panting hard as he smiled. Yammy's body fell forward, splitting in two as it fell so that each half fell beside Kenpachi, spraying blood all over him. Kenpachi took a few steps and felt a tug on his ribs and he looked down to see a spear poked into his side. He turned, ripping the steel from his body, and slashed the man across the face, cutting his head in half.

Kenpachi felt another stab and turned, ripping the sword free of the man's hands leaving it in his back. Kenpachi killed him too, before he turned and saw himself surrounded by the enemy. At some point during the battle between him and Yammy the Dragon Warriors had been pushed back up the hill and were now fighting on the crest. If they were pushed back over the hill it was all over. Kenpachi let out a roar and charged around the lines, killing at will but targeting the officers. Soon he was back to his own lines, blood pouring from a large gash across his chest, multiple swords and spears in his back, cuts on his arms and legs, and his burnt arm.

"Kenpachi!" he looked over at Toshiro who froze a small group of soldiers and then shattered them with a shout. "We need to push them back!" he said and Kenpachi nodded, ignoring the lightheadedness from blood loss. Kenpachi gathered as much air as he could and breathed fire down onto the enemy. The cheers of the men were drowned out by the screams of the burning as Kenpachi swept his head side to side, trying his best to stay conscious. He was dimly aware of Toshiro breathing ice onto the other men. This was something that everyone had practiced with Toshiro, it was the creation of a funnel. As the ice and fire mixed in the middle of the hill a funnel of air formed and started to spin down the hill, picking up men as it went. When Kenpachi was finally out of breath he collapsed to one knee, forcing Toshiro to stop his ice.

"Kenny!" Yachiru ran up to him and went to her knees in the bloody mud to hold his face.

"What did I tell you about staying in the back lines?" he asked quietly and Yachiru touched his chest softly.

"I'm sorry daddy, I just wanted to check on you. Come on let's get you to Unohana," she helped him up and helped him walk through the lines as Byakuya stood there in surprise and fear.

"Daddy?" he gasped and Kenpachi reached out and grabbed him by the shirt as he walked by.

"Yeah, and I swear that if you hurt my little Yachiru I will come back from the dead and kill you with my ghostly hands," Kenpachi growled as he grinned evilly before releasing him and continuing his walk. Byakuya gulped Yachiru shook her head.

"Ignore him please," she said and glared at Kenpachi. "And you behave, we'll talk more about this when you're healed up."

"Fine, just get me to that old hag so I can get back into the fight," he said and Unohana grinned from the tent.

"What did you just call me?" she asked kindly and Kenpachi paled and he waved his hand at her.

"Nothing, just please heal me so I can get back to the fight," he said and Unohana nodded, the smile still on her face.

"Of course, just lay down please. I'll take good care of you," she said and Kenpachi could have cried.

* * *

Toshiro gasped for breath as he let his ice die down. Kenpachi was being taken away by Yachiru, the enemy was now back down the hill trying to regroup, and his own men were gasping at the toll of the day's fighting. Toshiro looked up and saw the sun getting still a small ways above the horizon. It was probably no more than 5 or 6 in the afternoon yet. Still a couple of hours of sunlight left to fight. Toshiro motioned to Ulquiorra who walked over.

"Yes sir?"

"Get the men in reserve to gather up our dead and wounded and get them to the back lines. I want a full count," he said and Ulquiorra nodded.

"Yes sir," Ulquiorra rushed off to carry out the orders as Toshiro sat down on the muddy hillside.

"Honey, you shouldn't sit there, it's dirty," he heard a voice say and he smiled slightly as Karin came to stand next to him.

"How are things on the back lines?" he asked and she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"They are better now. The 4th Division showed up, though they are only healers so we won't have any extra men fighting," she sighed and Toshiro shrugged painfully, groaning when he realized that he had taken a spear to the shoulder.

"Well that just means that we will have healers to share in the duties. Now all wounds can be healed. What about the arrows and bolts?" he asked as Karin squatted down and started fussing over his shoulder.

"We are running low, but if we continue at this pace we can hold out until tomorrow on arrows. Provided we don't fire all night."

"We will have the mages and Dragon Warriors fire at night, just to keep the enemy awake. The more tired their troops the weaker they are in a fight."

"That's my strategist," Karin said and patted his head. "Come on my ice king, it's time to get some sleep. Urahara and Yamamoto will keep command tonight," Toshiro nodded and let Karin help him up. He stood there for a minute and stared at the field of battle, watching the enemy come up to gather as many dead as they could. He didn't think he'd be getting much sleep that night, but he would try. Karin led him away as Urahara and Yamamoto stood at the front of the lines which were now back in place.

"Toshiro sir!" Ulquiorra rushed over to him. "We've gotten the preliminaries for body count. Another 76 wounded, only 13 of them seriously wounded, and 276 dead. Which brings our totals to 107 wounded and 341 dead. We estimate the enemy loses at close to a thousand now with two of their high ranking officers dead."

"Thank you Ulquiorra. Keep Urahara posted on that for now. I'm retiring to bed for the night," Toshiro said and Ulquiorra saluted him.

"Yes sir, I understand," he rushed off to the top of the hill as Toshiro was sent to bed by Karin.

"Now, you wash up and I'll go find a healer okay?" she walked off quickly as Toshiro stripped down and quickly washed the blood and dirt from his body. He counted four separate wounds, the stab to his shoulder, and three shallow cuts across his chest. He was barely under the covers when Karin came back with a healer.

"Good and clean I see," she said and stood by as the healer inspected the wounds on his chest and shoulder.

"Well, they aren't serious, so I'll just wrap them up for now. We'll wait to heal until the morning," the healer said as she wrapped his shoulder and chest with bandages.

"Why not heal him now?" Karin asked and the healer stopped at the door and looked back.

"There are more seriously hurt out there and they are first. If anyone has minor wounds they will be healed in the morning if any healers have strength left, which shouldn't be a problem now that we have our Division here."

"Karin! Let it go," Toshiro said and Karin glared at him before nodding. Once the healer was gone Karin pulled the door into place and walked over to the bed.

"Well it's time to sleep," she said and stripped down to nothing before she climbed into cot.

"How is Ichigo?" Toshiro asked and Karin looked at him as she curled up against his side.

"He's doing much better now. His wounds have been healed by Unohana and she said that he should be up by morning," Toshiro nodded and soon they were asleep.

* * *

Urahara was sitting on a little chair on top of the hill sharing a drink with Yamamoto who sat in a similar chair on the other side of a small table. The men were now back in rank and were waiting, most of them relaxing as there was a small party of Readers sitting amongst them, keeping their minds out for anyone coming up the hill. Urahara took a sip of tea from his cup before placing it back on the table.

"So, do you have faith in Rukia?" Urahara asked and Yamamoto grunted.

"She's a human. She'll be attracted to power. I don't trust her with anything," the old man said and Urahara nodded slowly put pushed his hat back to look at the sky.

"But she's also mated to a Dragon Warrior. She would die for Ichigo," Urahara spoke softly but Yamamoto shook his head, his beard swinging softly.

"She agreed to do this a little too quickly in my mind."

"Well your mind is getting old. If anyone has a chance it's her," Urahara said softly and looked over at Yamamoto.

"And if she fails?" Yamamoto said and Urahara turned back to the city, to stare at the tower.

"Then we go on to plan b," he said and Yamamoto nodded again. "What is that?" Kisuke sat up then jumped to his feet. A large column of blue and green fire was rising from the city.

"Grimmjow. He's been discovered," Yamamoto said and Kisuke licked his lips as he sat back down.

"Now let's see if everything goes as we planned."

* * *

Grimmjow let out a blast of fire from his left hand as he slashed a man across the face with the sword in his right. They had been betrayed by someone. Almost as soon as they entered the rich part of the city they had been attacked in force. The Shades were killed almost instantly as the dark of night fell upon them all. He quickly searched for Nel during his brief break and saw her fighting against two men. She was dodging their swords and using air to block the sword strikes. She was throwing punches and kicks, trying to knock them back. The sound of boots on stones brought his attention back around just in time to block the trident of a black haired man.

"My name is Aaroniero Arruruerie," the man said and Grimmjow grimaced at the strength.

"I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," Grimmjow replied and the man grinned. "But I think I'll just call you Aaron as your name is just too long and boring to say," Grimmjow grinned behind the stress and Aaroniero snarled.

"You will regret that insolence," he raised his trident over his head and swung it hard enough to throw Grimmjow against the wall of a house. Grimmjow groaned and slowly picked himself up off the ground. He looked up in time to see Aaroniero walking towards him. Grimmjow looked towards his sword a few feet away and he gathered himself before he launched himself towards it just as Aaroniero's trident slammed into the ground where he had been lying. Grimmjow grabbed his sword and rolled to his feet, watching quickly as Nel burned one man to a crisp, the man ran in a circle screaming his head off as flames and smoke poured from him. Nel then kicked the other man in the knee, breaking it with a sharp crack, before she kicked him in the side of the head hard enough to break his skull. Grimmjow threw himself to the side as the trident swung through the air just where his head had been.

"Pay attention damn you!" Aaroniero shouted as two more men rushed at Nel. Grimmjow turned on his heel and blocked the trident with his sword between two of the prongs. Grimmjow was forced into a wall where he struggled to keep the trident's middle spike from his throat.

"Damn it," Grimmjow grunted and pushed as hard as he could but couldn't move the trident. He thought real quick and ducked under the trident, letting his sword coming with him, and the trident's spikes went into the wall. Grimmjow rolled past him, swinging his sword roughly, and came to his feet as Aaroniero yelled in rage. Grimmjow looked back to see blood running down the back of his right leg around the knee area.

"Damn you!" he screamed as he ripped the trident free of the wall and spun, swinging it at Grimmjow who rolled away. "Stay still so I can kill you!" he screamed as he limped after Grimmjow who danced around him, killing all who came near.

"If you want to kill me you'll have to work for it!" Grimmjow called out and laughed at the rage on Aaroniero's face.

"That's enough!" Aaroniero screamed and slammed the butt of the trident onto the ground. The ground around him started to freeze and Grimmjow gasped as his feet were caught in the ice. Ice gathered around Grimmjow's feet and climbed up his legs, sticking ice spikes deep into his legs. Grimmjow screamed in pain and dropped his sword as he tried to break the ice with his hands.

"What the hell are you?" Grimmjow asked.

"Tosen created us. We are hybrid Mage and Dragon Warriors," Aaroniero grinned and raised his trident in preparation to jab it into Grimmjow's chest.

"Grimmjow!" Nel screamed and started to run over.

"Nel stop!" Grimmjow screamed and flung a hand out to stop her. "Don't come any closer!" Aaroniero stabbed Grimmjow, the three points going all the way through his body. Grimmjow hunched over as Aaroniero pulled the trident free and gasped, blood pouring from his mouth to cover the ice.

"Ooh, who is this?" Aaroniero started to limp over to Nel who tried to run but a sliver of ice crawled across the ground and trapped her in place. Nel screamed as the ice climbed all the way to her hips, though Aaroniero didn't hurt her at all. "I think I'll have some fun with this one."

"No!" Grimmjow shouted and felt rage burning in his stomach. He felt his skin start to harden and his bones stretched. Grimmjow could feel the pain in his legs subsiding as he roared. Aaroniero stepped back away from Nel and watched Grimmjow change. Once Grimmjow was a full dragon he breathed fire into the air, the large column of smoke and fire making Aaroniero back up a bit more. He raised the trident just in time to block the tail that swung at him, but he flew through the wall of a house. As he picked himself up from the ruins of the table he looked up just in time to see Grimmjow's head poke into the building.

"No!" Aaroniero screamed and held out a hand as Grimmjow opened his mouth. Aaroniero watched as a glow came from inside Grimmjow's throat and Aaroniero trembled as he tried to make a chamber of ice. The fire roared forth from Grimmjow's mouth and blew the house away. Aaroniero screamed as the fire melted through the ice chamber and engulfed him. The fire burned away the layers of skin and he screamed in the brief second before the fire melted his flesh from his bones. Grimmjow pulled his head back and Nel watched as the smoke rose from the ruined building, she could barely make out the skeleton of Aaroniero, the bones still smoking.

Grimmjow turned to the group of soldiers who had turned the corner and roasted them as well. As the remains dropped to the ground Grimmjow changed back into a human and shook himself. Nel ran over and caught him as he started to fall over.

"Grimmjow!" she placed a hand on his chest and listened to his ragged breathing.

"I'm fine," he gasped and then coughed, blood splattering the ground. Nel noticed blood running down his legs and stomach.

"Grimmjow," she shook her head and held his face in her hands.

"Go. Find Rukia," he said as they heard footsteps coming their way.

"No I won't leave you," she said and Grimmjow struggled to his feet before pushing her away.

"Run!" he shouted and she shook her head. "Run!" he threw a fireball at her feet making her jump and scramble away. "Run or I will kill you!" he threw another fireball, this one right at her and she ducked and sprinted away from him, crying her eyes out. Grimmjow turned to meet the crowd of soldiers head on, raising his sword slowly as his arm trembled.

"Take him and the girl!" the leader said and Grimmjow smirked.

"You have to go through me to get to her," he said and two men stepped forward with spears raised. Grimmjow gathered the last of his strength and charged forward, cutting the two men down as he charged the officer. "I will kill you all!"

* * *

Rukia stood by the window to her room, watching the battlefield. Tosen's men had nearly won that morning as they charged over the hill, and Rukia had started to cry at the thought of Ichigo getting killed. She touched the tattoo on her arm that resembled his and nearly started to cry again. She knew that if the tattoo ever faded she would be easy prey for Tosen. Already he had tried to sleep with her once, he had barely gotten his lips on hers and a strong electric shock threw him away. It hadn't been enough to kill him, more's the pity, but he had never tried to touch her again.

Rukia turned her back on the night, sinking to the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest and cried. She had hoped that Ichigo would come save her, she wanted to see him again. Her desire for him burned, but it had taken months for him to even show up, and even then he didn't attack. He was letting the enemy attack him. She wondered if he had ever loved her at all or if he had been using her to get what he wanted, the end of humans.

Rukia touched the knife that was stuck up the left sleeve of her night gown. She knew it was sharp, she sharpened it every day. It would only be a matter of time before she would be forced to use it. She heard a roar and jumped to her feet, looking out the window just in time to see a large column of blue fire rise into the air not a few blocks away.

"Grimmjow," she breathed, knowing the blue and green fire anywhere. She smiled to herself. So that had been his plan all along. Ichigo would keep the enemy at bay while a small force of soldiers came to rescue her. He probably sent them in through the storm drain in the wall, it was the only place not guarded because Tosen didn't think anyone would be able to get through there. It opened at the end of an alleyway, and Tosen had posted two guards at the end, and no more.

"Hurry Grimmjow, please," Rukia begged and stuffed the knife back into her sleeve. Hopefully now she wouldn't have to use it.

* * *

Nel ran through the streets, the dark of night scaring her. She didn't know where she was going, or what to do when she got there. She looked up and saw the tower flashing between the buildings as she ran. She stopped short when she heard a shout and cut the corner to her right. She hid in the shadows as guards rushed by, their armor clanging loudly. Nel waited till they were gone before she slipped back into the night. She looked up and found herself a block down from the gate to the palace.

"I must get to Rukia," she said to herself and gathered all the power she could into her hands. She made a giant wall of air and fire and flung it as hard as she could at the wall in front of her. The wall exploded inwards, blowing chunks of stone everywhere and throwing a few guards off the top of the wall she had blown away. There were shouts and the sounds of guards running towards her position. Nel made a quick decision and sprinted through the breach, running as fast as she could to get through the wall. Once she was through she looked up at the tower and knew she had to get there as soon as possible.

"There she is!"

"Kill her!" Nel turned to see guards running at her and she smiled grimly, prepping fireballs in her hands.

* * *

"Well Kisuke. Here comes the enemy," Yamamoto said and stood up from their chairs. Four servants came and took the chairs and table away as the two Captains waited.

"Shall we put our plan into effect?" Urahara asked and Yamamoto nodded.

"It's time to end this farce," he said and got ready to give the order when Unohana and Isshin came up the hill.

"Are we ready?" Isshin asked and Kisuke growled under his breath in annoyance. Unohana and Isshin would be the ones to come up here, the only two Captains who could take control of the situation.

"Yes," Yamamoto said, thinking the same thing.

"Good. I need you two to come with me, we have something to talk about," Isshin said and Yamamoto grunted.

"And who will take control of the men?" Kisuke asked and Unohana smiled.

"I will," she said and Kisuke barked a laugh.

"You? You can't control the men, you're a woman and a healer!" he laughed and the night got darker, if that was even possible.

"I said, I will take control," Unohana said, her voice and face never changing but Kisuke swallowed and nodded quickly before he nearly sprinted down the hill, Isshin and Yamamoto right behind.

"That fool will never learn. What Yoruichi saw in him I will never know," Isshin said and Yamamoto placed a hand on his sword hilt as they walked into a clearing of trees just outside of the camp. Isshin turned as Yamamoto drew his sword and pointed it at his neck.

"You are the fool Isshin Kurosaki," Yamamoto stated and Isshin gave him a dull bored look. There was another rasp of steel on leather as Kisuke drew his sword and placed it against Isshin's back.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised at you old man, but you Kisuke?"

"Ichigo killed my mate," Kisuke said and poked Isshin in the back.

"No. Tosen killed your mate. Ichigo is the one who brought you two together," Isshin said and Kisuke snorted.

"Ichigo left us all behind at the ambush. He got Yoruichi killed!" Isshin turned his head to look over his shoulder at him and sighed.

"Yamamoto has poisoned your mind boy. Are you really that stupid to think that Ichigo betrayed us?"

"He did betray us. After all these years no one has ever declared himself Dragon Emperor!"

"Since you have forgotten, you named him Dragon Warrior Emperor and everyone agreed," Isshin said and Yamamoto raised his sword.

"Too bad that by the end of the night all of you will be dead, and this army under my control!" Yamamoto brought his arm down and then his eyes widened and he stumbled back as his arm went flying.

"Now now old man, this is no way to behave," Shinji said as he turned to face Yamamoto. He had rushed in at the last second to cut off Yamamoto's arm just above the elbow. Yamamoto grabbed his arm and growled at Shinji.

"I knew there was a good reason to put you in the Ranch!" he shouted and Shinji grinned even wider.

"That was part of our plan. Isshin has known about your betrayal for years. We all did. So we staged the whole trial so that when it came time for you to put your plan in motion we could have ours ready."

"You were in on this Isshin? You betrayed the Dragon Warriors by mixing Dragon Warrior blood and mage blood!" he spat and Isshin grinned softly.

"Have you forgotten that my dear mate Masaki was a mage? That makes Ichigo and Karin hybrids too. This is why we put this plan in place. You started this war not to destroy the Dragon Warriors but to kill my family because of blood," he said and Kisuke drew his arm back to stab Isshin through the heart. There was a rush of air and the sound of steel cutting flesh. Kisuke's sword arm hit the dirt as his head went rolling across the clearing.

"Now it's down to one," Love said as he and Rose walked up behind Isshin. Hiyori, Mashiro, Lisa, and Kensei stepped into the clearing as well.

"Yes Head Captain, we all went through this change willingly," Lisa said.

"But it wasn't for more power idiot," Hiyori snapped.

"We did it as an excuse to be locked away from the world," Mashiro said joyfully.

"And it was so when the time came to reveal our plan," Kensei stepped forward, his combat knife in his hand.

"We would have the strength to defeat you and your friends," Rose smiled and pushed some hair from his face.

"You planned this moment for a hundred years? How?"

"Easy," Isshin said. "We knew that you hated Ichigo, and we all agreed that we would do everything in our power to keep him safe."

"But why would they all help you?!" Yamamoto asked as he tried to hold the blood in.

"Because. They are all part of the Kurosaki family," Isshin said and Yamamoto's eyes widened. "Kensei, Lisa, Love, Shinji, and Hachi are all my family by blood. The others are here as mates. Mashiro with Kensei, Hiyori with Shinji, and Rose with Lisa."

"We protect our family, till death if necessary," Shinji said and everyone nodded. Isshin drew his sword and walked up to Yamamoto who fell to his knees, weak with blood loss.

"You can never defeat Tosen. For I know the truth about him. He is the Dragon of Spirit. He was reborn over 500 years ago when Tosen was born as a farmer. Over time Tosen started to gain power and he started to put this plan into motion. He saw how weak dragons had become, mating with humans and creating the Dragon Warriors. We made a deal that if I delivered the others to him he would let me live as his right hand man."

"Tosen is the Dragon of Spirit?" everyone gasped at that and shared looks.

"Yes, I had my suspicions when Aizen and Gin turned to his side easily. Poor fools thought they could defeat him themselves, and they paid the price by losing their minds to him. They had always been Ichigo's friend, but they were turned against him by Tosen," Isshin said and sighed. "We may not be able to defeat the Dragon of Spirit alone, but that is why Hachi is trying to convince the four Dragon Lords to come back. They will know how to lock up the Dragon of Spirit again, like they did so long ago."

"You can't kill me Isshin Kurosaki! You don't have the balls!" Yamamoto shouted and Isshin grinned sadly as he raised his sword slightly.

"I'm sorry Head Captain, but I do," Isshin brought the sword across in a sweeping motion and Yamamoto's head went rolling across the ground as his body and part of his beard fell flat at Isshin's feet. Blood spurted out, covering his lower pants legs.

"Can we really beat Tosen? Can we really kill the Dragon of Spirit?" Lisa asked and Isshin shook his head.

"We can't. The Dragon of Spirit will never die, just like the four Dragon Lords. We can lock him back up, but not kill him. Remember the prophecy. 'The one who is of three can save the world.' We must have faith that Ichigo can do this. We just have to give him time," Isshin said and the others nodded.

"What about this thing?" Shinji asked and pointed to Yamamoto. Isshin shrugged in response.

"Place it with that thing," he motioned over his shoulder to Kisuke's body. "and burn them both."

* * *

**Boom! And there was the first day of battle. How y'all like that one?**


	24. Final Battle- The Second Day

**Okay everyone, here is the next day of the battle. Lots of action, and we finally get to the part that everyone has been waiting for! Now here to the reviewers.**

**To MugetsuIchigo- right now, this chapter they meet again, the next chapter will have the true reunion.**

**To BlackHeart1723- well it was a long time coming but I had to keep it interesting. I try to make my stories with as much twist as possible, if it stays like a normal everyday sappy story what fun is it?**

**To Akott the two-faced- I can understand, I don't like renji or Orihime either, but Orihime will not be in this story…I felt no need to include her at all. Lol, well come on now, I think Byakuya and Yachiru set each other off perfectly, one is cold and demeaning and the other is hyper and cheery…and I have no idea what happened in chapter 13 so I'm going to have to reread it lol and don't worry, people are entitled to their opinions.**

**Disclaimer: cause this is the most boring part…I do not own bleach…blah blah blah blah blah blah blah**

* * *

Unohana stood at the front of the line as the enemy walked up the hill. Fire suddenly sprang up around her and the enemy stopped for a second, watching her. A group of men walked up to her, weapons raised and she smiled at them kindly, making them stop.

"Why don't you put those weapons down and go get some sleep," she said and one of the men laughed.

"We don't take orders from Dragon Warriors, much less from women," this made the others laugh. The smile never wavered, her face never changed, but the men stopped laughing as the night seemed to grow darker.

"I said, why don't you put those weapons down and go get some sleep," she said again and some of the men slowly backed down the hill before realizing that she was alone and marched on her again. The rest of the army watched and laughed.

"You're all alone woman, we don't fear you," the officer said and there was a sudden scream and the sound of flesh being ripped apart. The entire group of men who had come at her seemed to explode as they were ripped apart. The others watched in horror and then looked at Unohana whose smile had never wavered.

"Anyone else not want to go sleep?" she asked and the army fled back down the hill, screaming in fear. "Good, now I can get some sleep."

* * *

Byakuya woke to shouts and feet pounding on the ground outside the door of his burrow. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the ceiling of branches and groaned. He had never thought in a million years that he would ever live like this, in fact if someone had told him that he would lose his power and start living in a hole in the ground he would have had them executed. At least he had been given a real bed with silk sheets and nice furniture. He had insisted on it and Ichigo had readily given it up to him. The bed next to him shifted and he felt a warm body press against him, an arm flinging itself over his chest.

"What's wrong?" Byakuya looked over to see Yachiru staring at him through a gap in her pink hair.

"Nothing," he answered softly and Yachiru laughed softly.

"Like I actually believe that," she said and sat up, scratching her head before she pushed her hair from her face. The sheet fell down and Byakuya's eyes shifted from her face to her breasts, his cock starting to harden under the sheets as he started thinking about licking and sucking on her nipples.

"I was thinking about where I came from and where I am now in terms of power and wealth," he said and Yachiru looked at him, clearing her throat until he looked back into her face.

"There is nothing wrong with where you are Byakuya, or are you saying you don't like being with me?" she asked and moved to straddle his hips, his hardening cock pressing against her pussy. Yachiru leaned down and kissed him softly, her lips soft and sweet on his, before she climbed off him and walked over to the water basin to splash water on her face. Byakuya stared at her ass, which she shook at him as she gave him a sultry look over her shoulder, before she slipped on a pair of pants and a shirt.

"I never said I didn't like being with you Yachiru, or even where I am. I was raised as a noble and it's different not living in fancy rooms or being served my meals," he said as he slipped off the bed and helped her with her armor.

"I can understand that, but it will be over shortly and you can go back to being a noble," she said as he helped tie the breastplate together and then knelt down to tie on her shin guards and thigh guards.

"Only if you're there with me," he said as he stood back up. Yachiru turned to him, her armor now in place, and placed a hand on his cheek.

"I couldn't imagine anywhere else," she said and Byakuya smiled. Yachiru tilted her head back as he leaned in to capture her lips in a searing kiss. Yachiru reached down and took his dick in her hand, stroking softly. Byakuya gasped and Yachiru shoved her tongue into his mouth. After a few seconds she pulled back and grinned. "A tease, something to keep you alive to come back to me tonight," she said and Byakuya grinned.

"I don't need a tease to come back to you," he said as he pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt. Yachiru quietly helped him put on his armor, with the same markings as her and Kenpachi, before she slid his silver kenseikan into place.

"There, all battle ready," she said with a smile and they kissed one last time before they walked out of their burrow and walked towards the medical area.

"Good morning Byakuya, Yachiru," Unohana greeted them with her smile and Yachiru and Byakuya smiled back and bowed.

"Good morning Captain," they both replied and Unohana waved her hand.

"You don't have to bow to me," she said and they both nodded as they followed her towards a tent. Unohana peeled back the tent flap and walked inside, followed by Byakuya and Yachiru. Ichigo was sitting up in one of the beds eating a small breakfast of pears, apples, and ham with a cup of cold milk while Kenpachi sat in a bed next to him wolfing down a large leg of ham with some oranges and a goblet of chilled wine.

"Good morning daddy," Yachiru said sweetly and Kenpachi looked over at her and smiled, his eye patch and bells sat on the bedside table next to him.

"Good morning Yachiru, how did you sleep?" he asked as Yachiru sat on the bed next to him and started to eat some of his ham. As Yachiru and Kenpachi had their conversation Byakuya walked over to Ichigo and stood by the bed.

"Any news on the infiltration team?" Ichigo asked and Byakuya shook his head.

"Nothing yet," he said and Ichigo sighed as he put his food down.

"Well Unohana won't let either of us out of bed till at least midday, and I don't know who is in charge," he said. Byakuya licked his lips and avoided the question. He and Yachiru had been woken up in the night by Isshin who had explained what Yamamoto and Urahara had been planning. Byakuya looked at Ichigo and smiled softly.

"I'll take control," he said and Ichigo glanced up at him.

"You know, being with Yachiru has definitely helped your mood. There was a time where you wouldn't even smile, and now you can't stop with the emotions. It suits you," Ichigo said and then slapped his shoulder. "You and Yachiru can have control today, just let my father know."

"Okay Ichi!" Yachiru yelled as she bounced up next to his cot. "We will take good care of the army," she wrapped her arm in Byakuya's and dragged him from the tent as Ichigo called out to them.

"I want to know if any word about the team arrives!" Byakuya waved to him in response just as he was pulled from the tent. Yachiru started to hum a battle hymn as they walked. They went back to their burrow and grabbed their swords before they quickly walked up the hill to the lines. Isshin stood up as the two of them approached.

"Morning you two. Did you have fun last night?" he winked and Yachiru smiled and nodded.

"Oh yeah we did, we slept well too. Ichigo said that we have command today," she said and Isshin nodded.

"I'll be staying with the Death Guard then?" he asked and Yachiru shrugged.

"Didn't say a thing about that," she said and then patted his cheek. "But I'm sure you'll be fine here. We need to save you all for the final push," she said excitedly, her eyes shining at the thought of battle, just like her father's.

"Well, you take care of yourself," Isshin said and Yachiru and Byakuya nodded.

"See you tonight!" Yachiru said and danced off towards the top of the hill, Byakuya right behind her. When they got to the top they could see Tosen's army standing ready, all in position. All their units were in precise formations with gaps between for officers and cavalry. The Dragon Warriors were standing shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the charge.

"Yachiru!" Shinji called from the front and Yachiru waved to him.

"What's the situation?" she asked and Shinji looked out on the enemy forces.

"They are grim," he said softly and Yachiru sighed. "Our forces are tired and we don't have the numbers they do. We all got a good sleep last night and we are ready for a fight, but with those numbers out there I don't know how long we can hold out."

"Have faith Shinji. We are Dragon Warriors. We can easily defend this hill. Our cavalry and reserves are ready to push forward. We can win this. Just one more day right?" she asked and Shinji nodded. Suddenly a shout went out from the enemy and they all looked out to see a wagon being pulled between the lines.

"What is that?" Byakuya asked and Shinji shrugged.

"I don't know. Have we received any word on Grimmjow yet?" Shinji asked and Yachiru gasped and pointed to the wagon.

"That is Grimmjow," she said and Byakuya and Shinji looked out and saw the blue hair as the wagon got closer.

"What do we do?" Shinji asked and Yachiru started to hyperventilate.

"Dragon Warriors!" a pink haired man called out as the wagon stopped at the bottom of the hill. Grimmjow was tied to a cross, his arms flung out, his head hung low. "We have one of your team that infiltrated our city last night. He is the only one left alive! We will give him to you as a gesture of good will from our leader Lord Tosen."

"We will get him," Love and Rose suddenly appeared from the lines and walked down the hill. They went slowly, the Dragon Warrior archers under the command of Ulquiorra waited. Rose and Love got to the wagon and carefully untied Grimmjow from the cross before they exchanged words with the pink haired man and started to carry Grimmjow up the hill. The pink haired man adjusted his glasses and smiled.

"NOOO!" Yachiru screamed. Ulquiorra flung his arm forward and arrows leapt out down the hill as arrows from Tosen's men came flying up the hill. Love stumbled a bit as an arrow hit him in the back. Rose continued to climb up the hill with Grimmjow as Tosen's forces came charging towards them. Rose fell face first into the mud and struggled to get up.

"Get them!" Shinji shouted and Yachiru took a step forward. Byakuya grabbed Yachiru's arm and flung her back as he raced down the hill, shouting at Shinji.

"You keep her safe!" he shouted as he raced down the hill. He put the brakes on and slid down the hill, chunks of drying mud rolling past him. Byakuya ducked in reflex as an arrow struck the ground next to his head.

"Byakuya!" he heard Yachiru shout but he ignored her.

"Grimmjow! Rose!" Byakuya shouted and shook Rose who looked up and smiled.

"I have to help Love," he said and swallowed as he gasped for breath. "Get Grimmjow up that hill if it's the last thing you do," Rose said and forced himself to his feet before he drew his sword and charged down the hill with a war cry. Byakuya threw Grimmjow's arm over his shoulder and dragged him up the hill. Arrows pelted the ground around Byakuya as he struggled up the hill. It was no wonder they were winning the fight. He had barely gone a hundred feet and he was almost completely exhausted.

"Byakuya!" he looked up to see Yachiru being held by Shinji and Ulquiorra. Arrows flew over his head and he looked back to see Tosen's men a few hundred feet back. He could see where Love and Rose where fighting below him as gaps opened up in the enemy lines. Byakuya took a small breather and watched as arrows and bolts cut down men coming up behind him. He watched as an arrow took a man in the throat and he fell, trying to hold the blood in. Another man rolled down the hill screaming in pain as a heavy bolt took off the man's leg below the knee. He looked up the hill and saw the lines right there, less than 20 feet away.

Byakuya picked himself and groaned as he picked Grimmjow up and started to climb the hill again. The lines reached for him as he got closer and he reached out his free hand. Byakuya let out a cry as pain blossomed in his back, just between his shoulder blades. He struggled through it and felt another pain in his lower back, in his right kidney area.

"Grab him!" Shinji shouted and Byakuya reached out as another pain hit him, this time Grimmjow groaned as well as an arrow, the first arrow to hit the lucky bastard, struck him in the arm slung over Byakuya's back pinning his arm to Byakuya. There was another pain and Byakuya's footing faltered as he started to slip down the hill. Blood exploded from his mouth as he gasped in pain as an arrow hit him in the side of the neck. He reached out, his ears ringing, as he saw men reach out. He could see Yachiru screaming and reaching for him as Shinji and Ulquiorra held her back. He barely felt a hand grab his and he looked up into the light to see Hisana smiling as she held his hand.

"Hello there love. I know that you feel bad about what you're doing. But it's okay, I'm dead, and in all honesty it's been too long. It's about time you found someone else. And I like her," Hisana said and Byakuya opened his mouth but she placed a finger on his lips. "Shh, save your energy. That one has fire and you'll need all of it later on."

Hisana faded, as did the feeling of a hand from his and his eyes cleared of the bright light. He found himself laying in the mud facedown, Grimmjow still beside him. Byakuya looked up to see the lines a few feet from him. He gathered what energy he had left and crawled up the hill to the cheers of the men. The enemy was close behind and he heard Shinji shout something that never reached his ears as the Dragon Warrior lines jumped forward and covered him. Hands grabbed him and dragged him through the lines. Yachiru appeared above him and he reached up to touch her face, his mouth opening but nothing coming out. Yachiru leaned down and kissed him softly, despite the blood, and his world darkened to nothing.

* * *

Love felt a sharp pain in his back and he fell to his knees. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword and he waited as more arrows thudded into the ground around him. He took a deep breath and turned with a shout to slash a man across the stomach. He ducked under another swing and stabbed him in the chest. Arrows fell around him and he watched as men around him died to their own men. Love stumbled back with a shout and looked down to see two arrows in his own chest. One just below the left nipple and the other under the ribs on his right side. Love barely managed to block the next sword strike and sent the man's head rolling down the hill as the neck sprayed blood like a fountain. Suddenly Rose was next to him and he grinned.

"Just like old times," Rose said as they hacked and slashed around them.

"Too much like old times," Love replied as they stood back to back.

"Should we change?" Rose asked as he blocked the spear and cut the man in half at the waist.

"No, I don't have the strength for it," Love said and Rose looked over his shoulder to see Love struggling to stand upright.

"Hold on Love, we can get through this," he said and Love barked a laugh.

"No, we can't. But we can take as many with us as we can," he said and Rose nodded solemnly.

"Very well. Take as many as you can then," Rose said and charged off into the mass of men. Love slashed and hacked his way towards the city until the soldiers split when he faced off against a dark skinned man with spikes on his head. Love heard a roar and looked over to see a large dragon charging through the lines breathing fire and sending men flying. Love faced off against the spiked man and sighed. He was losing blood and energy fast, he didn't know if he had the strength to keep fighting, especially an officer like this. He had already heard about these officers, but he didn't think he would be able to fight.

"My name is Zommari Leroux," the spike headed man said and Love hefted his sword with a deep breath.

"I am Love Aikawa," he said and Zommari drew his sword.

"It is nice to know the name of the man I am about to kill, so that I can say a prayer over his body," Zommari said and Love smiled a bit.

"Well Zommari, it seems like this should be a good fight," he said and Zommari nodded before sprinting at him. Love blocked the sword strike, but was flung back a foot or two by the force of it.

"Wow, you have some strength there," Love said and Zommari stared at him. "What? Don't like my compliment?" he asked.

"Strength has nothing to do with it. You are just weaker than me. How you ever became a Dragon Warrior Captain is beyond me."

"I am weaker?" Love asked and Zommari nodded once.

"I am a hybrid-"

"Mage and Dragon Warrior made my Tosen. I know all about you officers," Love said and Zommari took a deep breath.

"So it seems. If you will excuse me I have a fight to win so I can massacre your soldiers," he said and advanced on Love who blocked the strike and, faster than Zommari thought possible, cut off Zommari's sword arm.

"That was a good move. But I still have a better one," he said and raised his remaining arm to throw an oversized ball of lightning at him. Love sighed in defeat and hung his head as the ball streaked towards him. Love looked over and saw Rose take a spear in the mouth as fire rolled across another group of men. More and more men climbed onto Rose and started to stab him with spears and swords as he roared his death.

"Good bye Rose," he said and launched an even larger ball of water at Zommari. The two balls struck and a large explosion shook the battlefield. Fire rose high into the air and Zommari went flying backwards by the shockwave as the dome of smoke and fire expanded. Everyone backed away and started to run for their lives as the fire hit the sides of the mountain, killing all those trapped between him and the Dragon Warrior lines. Love let his head fall back as the fire washed over him, burning him to nothing in the blink of an eye.

* * *

Shinji's sword flashed red in the midmorning light as blood arced through the air. Shinji ducked under the sword that was aimed at his neck and cut the man across the stomach, hearing the scream as he stumbled forward clutching at his guts that spilled from the wound. Shinji sidestepped a spear thrust and took his sword hilt in both hands, thrusting forward and spitting the soldier through his neck all the way to the hilt. As hot blood seeped down his throat Shinji pushed against him with all his weight and held onto the sword as the man fell backwards down the hill.

"Fuck!" Shinji felt a flare of pain on his back and he looked back to see an enemy soldier swinging a naginata at him. Shinji twisted away, wincing in pain as he felt blood run down his back under his armor, and blocked the next strike. Shinji slid his sword down the length of the spear as he charged forward and cut the man's head off at the mouth. As the top of his head went flying the tongue flapped as the body fell backwards.

"Shinji!" he turned and saw Lisa come to a stop next to him, her spear thrusting behind him. Shinji turned to see a man behind him, sword raised over his head, with Lisa's spear stuck through his chest. Lisa ripped the spear free and spun to block another sword before she struck him in the balls with the butt of the spear before kicking him down the hill to be trampled by his own men.

Shinji turned with a snarl and struck a man's head from his neck, not stopping to watch the blood fountain from his bare neck. He blocked another sword and punched the man in the face before turning and stabbing backwards. As he pulled the sword free he slashed open the back of an enemy soldier ahead of him who was about to spear a Dragon Warrior into the ground. Shinji reached down and helped the man to his feet.

"Look out!" the man pulled Shinji forward and stepped past him with his katana raised to block. Shinji turned in time to see both men fall to the ground; the Dragon Warrior with his stomach sliced open from rib to rib all the way to his spine, the other man headless. Shinji rolled down the hill under one of the soldier's spears and cut out someone's legs, hearing the screams as he fell to the ground, not knowing which leg to grab in pain. Shinji stood up to come face to face with a one armed man with spikes coming from his head.

"My name is Zommari Leroux. I can move faster than anyone of you. Your friend already tried to kill me and failed miser-" the rest of what he was saying was cut off as Shinji appeared right in front of him and grabbed his face. Shinji then sent a large stream of fire forth. Zommari's body, well just a bit above the waist to his feet, fell to the ground. The rest of his body was burned away in ragged edges that smoked. Shinji didn't stop to admire his handy work, he never liked duels, as he cut down the man next to him.

"Shinji! Pull back!" he looked over his shoulder up the hill to see Yachiru waving her arm at him to pull back. The Dragon Warriors were reforming their lines and he realized that most of Tosen's men had pulled back down the hill. A few arrows followed them and a man right next to Shinji fell with an arrow going through his throat from the back. Shinji quickly climbed the hill to the line and nodded to Lisa and Hiyori.

"Have you seen Love and Rose?" Shinji asked and Hiyori looked away as Lisa pointed down the hill with her spear, too tired and winded to talk. Shinji looked down the hill to see Rose in Dragon form being dragged away to the cooking fires.

"There was a massive explosion earlier this morning that Love caused. He was taken with it," Hiyori said and sniffed. "Idiots they both were."

"Don't speak ill of the dead Hiyori," Shinji said and she sniffed.

"Well they were," she crossed her arms over her chest and looked off into the distance.

"So we are now down to six," Shinji said and Lisa nodded as she adjusted her glasses.

"Down to six, and our forces lost more today than they did yesterday. And Tosen's men look like they haven't even been scratched yet," Kensei said as he walked up to them, Mashiro in tow.

"Is Ichigo ready to join us again?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, I am," Ichigo walked up to them and stared down at the mass of men who were gathered on the field below. "What are our numbers now?" he asked and Unohana joined him.

"At our current estimate we have lost in this fight alone 274 wounded and close to 600 dead. That brings our current totals to 303 wounded and somewhere around 941 dead. That's a total of 1,244 out of action," Unohana said and Ichigo sighed.

"1,244 out of 5,000. What are their estimates?"

"Well we don't know about wounded, but their dead counts we estimate are close to 6,000 now, so the numbers are now 3,756 of us against 14,000 of them," Unohana finished and Shinji shook his head.

"This was a bad idea. We will never win this war," he said and Ichigo smiled.

"Have faith. I talked with Grimmjow, he said all the Shades were killed but Nel ran. I have a strong feeling that Nel is still alive," he said and stared at the tower in the distance. "You just have to have faith."

* * *

Nel ducked her head and curtsied low as soldiers walked past quickly, their armor clanking as they hurried down the hall. She held the curtsy until the sound of metal feet on stone faded. Nel stood up and hefted the basket of clothes that she was supposed to be taking to get washed. She had spent the night with the servants after she had gotten into the fortress and found some servant rags that passed for clothes.

"Excuse me, I'm new here and I wasn't shown the Lady Rukia's chambers," she said to a lone guard who was standing guard at a door. He looked at her for a moment before pointing up the stairs to his left.

"Go all the way up those stairs," he said and Nel curtsied deep before she started up the stairs. Once she turned the first curve she started to walk faster, by the time she reached the only door at the top of the stairs she was running. Nel set the basket down and gasped for breath before she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" she heard a female call out and Nel opened the door to see Rukia standing there at the window. "What do you want?"

"Rukia!" Nel called out as she closed the door.

"Nel!?" Rukia turned in surprise and dropped the knife she had been holding tightly in her hands. The two women met each other halfway across the room and hugged. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to rescue you. I've come to take you back to Ichigo," she said and Rukia smiled before the door burst open with a loud bang sending splinters of wood everywhere. They both turned to the door to see Tosen standing there.

"I see that I arrived just in time!" he shouted. "I guess letting you live was too much. Time to die!" he screamed and thrust both hands forward, fire rushing forth from each palm. Nel made a wall of water and curled herself around Rukia.

"Hold on!" she screamed and squeezed her eyes shut as she warped time around them. Nel felt a sting on her back but ignored it. Nel opened her eyes to screams and looked around to see Dragon Warriors rushing to grab spears and swords while some held bows on them.

"Stand aside!" she heard a roar and looked over to see Isshin walking through the circle of men. "Nel! Rukia! Quickly get Unohana, Nel's hurt!" he shouted and Nel looked at him with a quizzical expression before she looked down. Her entire left arm was burned from her fingers to her shoulder as well as part of her ribs and back. Rukia held onto Nel as they saw Ichigo running towards them.

"Rukia!" he screamed and gathered her in his arms as Nel had the sudden sensation of falling before she saw the ground rushing up to meet her.

* * *

"It's good to be back Ichigo," Rukia said with a smile as Ichigo hugged her tightly, never wanting to let her go again.

"I can't believe that I have you back. I thought I'd have to raise the fortress to get you back," he said and Rukia hugged him.

"Nope, I'm right here," she said and Ichigo smiled and kissed her forehead. There was a shout from the hill and Ichigo looked up to see men rushing up the hill.

"Shit, stay here!" he ordered her and gave her a quick blood boiling kiss before running up the hill.

They had stopped to see Byakuya who was in the hospital tent recovering from his wounds, Yachiru by his side. They had also seen Isshin, Grimmjow, Nel, and Kenpachi; who was now on the hill waiting for him. Ichigo charged up the backside of the hill as arrows and bolts leapt up into the sky. Ichigo stopped by Ulquiorra as he passed on the crest of the hill.

"How many more volleys do we have?" he asked and Ulquiorra looked at the men and did a quick count.

"By this man here we have 5 more volleys of arrows and 6 of bolts," he said and Ichigo took a deep breath.

"Fire them now, and then have them draw swords," he said and pushed through the line of men to the gap in the lines a few lines from the front where Kenpachi, Toshiro, and Shinji were waiting. "What's all the yelling about?"

"Tosen's men are forming up," Shinji said and Ichigo looked down at the mass of men before he put his sword away.

"Is it just me or does it seem like Tosen's forces have grown since yesterday?" Ichigo asked and Kenpachi grimaced as he looked on.

"I think I have to agree with that. If you look at them now they fill the entire field were yesterday they didn't."

"When did they get more men?" Ichigo asked and Toshiro groaned.

"Last night while Urahara and Yamamoto were watching," Toshiro said. "I still can't believe they were both traitors."

"I didn't either, but I say let's give these men a show," Ichigo said and readied two fireballs. Everyone else did the same and they moved to throw. "Ready. Let them have it!" Ichigo shouted and he moved like he was throwing a baseball. The others threw their fireballs as well and they watched the fireballs arc with gravity before landing in the lines of the enemy. Tosen's men started to panic a bit as men were thrown around and blown apart. The officers were trying to get their men to stay calm as large holes were opened up in their lines. They each threw a few more fireballs killing more and more men. Suddenly Tosen's men started to march forward, their drummers pounding out a marching tune.

"Prepare yourselves!" Ichigo shouted and threw another fireball down the hill before he pulled his sword from the ground. Ichigo looked up to see the sun directly above them at midday. Suddenly Tosen's cavalry came charging from around the mountain straight up the hill. A few hundred arrows and bolts poured into the horses.

"The last of the arrows are out!" Ulquiorra shouted and drew his sword. Ichigo watched as arrows and bolts cleared saddles and even took out some horses too. One last volley came at nearly point blank. Ichigo watched as men fell with arrows going through them and bolts tearing through armor. The remainder of the cavalry came up the hill in droves, even though they went slower than if they were on flat ground they still came on faster than humans.

"Hold your ranks! Let them break upon our spears like water on a damn!" Kenpachi shouted. The men cheered as they packed together shoulder to shoulder and the front two lines knelt down, spears held out in front of them. The front line of cavalry hit the spears and screaming horses and men drowned out the sound of hooves. The ground was quickly turned red again as the mud drying from the morning battle was quickly turned into fresh mud that was now being churned up by the dying. Ichigo watched as a man raised a spear to try and stab at one of the Dragon Warriors but three spears in his chest and two in the horse put him down. A few of the Dragon Warriors were killed, that couldn't be helped, but after what seemed like hours the horsemen were called back down the hill. Ichigo looked up and saw the sun hadn't move much at all and guessed that only at most an hour had passed.

The men had just a moment to reform their lines. Tosen's men were only about ten feet away when they broke rank and charged up the hill with a battle cry.

"For Humans!" they shouted as they charged up the hill. Ichigo looked at Kenpachi who nodded.

"For the Darkness!" Ichigo cried and, with feral screams and the battle cry echoing out behind them, the front lines of Dragon Warriors thrust their spears forward, catching Tosen's men off guard and killing most of the two front lines in an instant, before they dropped their spears and literally jumped into the men with drawn swords. Ichigo drew a knife from his belt, really a short sword if you were to be honest, with a foot and a half of steel and another 6 inches of hilt. Ichigo hacked and slashed at both sides of himself, cutting down the enemy as a blood lust filled him. He would show the humans what he was capable of.

Ichigo was soon covered in blood, as were most of the men around him. He took a brief second to look over at Kenpachi who was grinning and shouting in joy as he cut men down by twos and threes with one swing of his sword. Ichigo blocked a spear with his knife and then slashed the man across the neck, cutting deep enough to kill but not enough to take his head off. As Ichigo pushed past the man he slashed another man across the side of the knee and came up behind him, digging the knife into the side of his throat before ripping it out the front. As the blood fountained forward Ichigo turned and slashed upwards, throwing the soldier back with a deep cut going up his chest.

Tosen's men fell back then surged forward again, driving the Dragon Warriors back up the hill. Ichigo looked around and saw that most of the men were in small knots, fighting back to back as they were surrounded by humans. Ichigo let out a shout and kicked a man in the face hard enough to crack bone and kill him before he ran up the hill. Shouting the entire way for the men to rally to him. Ichigo saw a flag on the hill, a blue banner with a large black dragon stretching from one side to the other; the flag used in the wars for the first Dragon Warriors. Ichigo run up the hill, cutting down men as he went, to get to the top of the hill.

"To me men! Rally to me! To me!" Ichigo shouted as he charged up the hill. When he got to the flag he saw who was holding it. Rukia stood there, dressed in armor with the remainder of the army splayed out behind her. Ichigo took the staff in one hand and leaned down to give her a searing kiss before he turned and waved the flag. The rest of the army, led by Isshin and the Death Guard, charged up and over the hill. Ichigo ran next to his father, making sure Yachiru held back Rukia, and rushed down the hill. Hiyori, Lisa, Kensei, and Mashiro were with them. Ichigo let go of the flag, a man behind him catching it without a pause, and swung his sword as he plowed and the Death Guard plowed into the human lines. The Death Guard swung their weapons clearing large swaths of men with each swing. Ichigo watched as Shinji and the men he was with were cut down. Ichigo heard a loud roar and saw Hiyori throw herself down the hill with a scream of rage.

The humans fell back from her and started to run as the rage of a mate lost overwhelmed her. Ichigo smiled and let out a roar as Hiyori changed into a dragon and launched herself into the air, breathing fire on the men below her. Ichigo and his men didn't stop, even when some of the heavier crossbows started to hit the heavily armored Death Guard, killing them. The humans pushed large crossbows on wheels from against the walls and started to fire them into the air, trying to hit Hiyori, while catapults in the camp fired at the Death Guard. Large stones started to crush the men before rolling downhill, killing all in their path.

"Charge!" Ichigo shouted and the entire army surged forward, except for the cavalry which had stayed behind. He looked up in time to see Hiyori take a couple of the large crossbow spears and she fell from the sky, landing in the city. Her roar was cut off and Ichigo grimaced before he steeled himself and cut down everyone who stood in front of him. The field below the hill was red with blood and squished beneath his feet. Many of the humans dropped their weapons and surrendered as the Dragon Warriors overwhelmed the larger force of humans. Ichigo head butt a man and then stabbed his sword down into the man's stomach, pinning him there to the ground. He picked up an axe and cut down a few men before he threw it at the pink haired man, an officer by the use of magic. The man turned just in time to catch the axe in the forehead, knocking his head back as he was thrown to the ground.

Ichigo grabbed his sword and realized how bad this was, they were completely off the hill now and were in danger of being surrounded. Time seemed to slow as Ichigo realized his mistake of the charge. Humans, a large contingent of Dragon Slayers, were coming around behind and Ichigo watched as Isshin turned the Death Guard to fight them. Ichigo grabbed the nearest man and shouted at him, but the order was lost in the sounds of battle. Steel crashed against of steel, the screams of dying and wounded, the battle cries, all of it drowned out his words as he tried to turn the men back to the hill.

Slowly he got his men's attention and they turned, running as fast as they could back to the hill as the Death Guard held open the hole. The Dragon Slayers started to close in but a swift maneuver by the retreat held the lines and kept the enemy at bay. Slowly now the Dragon Warriors made their way back to the hill, the bubble they made closed in behind them until now they were back in formation, slowly marching backwards up the hill fighting the entire way. Suddenly a roar split the sounds of battle and four massive stone dragons flew overhead, Hachi riding on the back of one. Each dragon breathed its own element. Gusts of wind knocked men over or threw them through the air in small tornadoes. Fire burned men to ash as water and earth came together to make mud to slow down and drown men.

"Fall back up the hill!" Ichigo shouted and the men climbed the hill as quickly as they could, some men dragging wounded men up the hillside. Ichigo looked down to see the humans trying to fight the stone dragons, one of which had set fire to the city. The others flew low, grabbing men and flinging them around. Suddenly one of the spears struck the Earth Dragon in the head and the body crumbled as it fell to the ground, the stones crushing men and some of the catapults. The Water Dragon flew over and sent a wave of water over the other catapults, washing them away. Hachi was on the back of the Air Dragon which suddenly exploded as a spear went right through its chest. They all watched as Hachi fell towards the ground, throwing lightning and fire at anything he could until he hit the ground. The last two stone dragons flew down and landed in the Dragon Warrior camp. Ichigo ran towards them as he shouted at Ulquiorra.

"Make sure the men stay in line! Do not let that line break!" he shouted.

"Sir wait, we have prisoners!" Ulquiorra shouted back and Ichigo skidded to a halt before he walked back up the hill.

"Where?" Ulquiorra pointed to a large group of humans who were huddled together in the midst of the Dragon Warriors. Ichigo walked over and stared at them for a moment before he grinned. "I don't see any prisoners," he said as he grabbed an axe and buried it in the skull of the closest man. The Dragon Warriors cheered as they killed the rest of the prisoners.

"What now?" Isshin asked.

"Send the heads down the hill, eat the rest," the men cheered as Ichigo walked off. He had shown the enemy what he could do, and now it was time to end this.

* * *

"So I have to goad Tosen to come out and fight me as a dragon?" Ichigo asked and the Fire Dragon nodded.

"Once he is in the sky we can help you. It is a short ritual where we hold him and you make the final blow."

"What happens when it's done?" Ichigo asked.

"Nothing. The Dragon of Spirit will go back to the new statue that we created before we left and the world will go back to normal. Well as normal as it can be."

"What about everyone here?" he asked and stared at the two stone dragons.

"What about them? They will go back to their lives, it is the nature of dragon and human."

"All I have to do is kill the man who has brought so much misery on my people? Then it is done. I will gather all that I have left and prepare for one final attack."

**Well now, how did y'all like that? Was it a good chapter?**


	25. Final Battle- The Third Day

**Well here it is. The final chapter before the epilogue. This is the final fight and we do have an IchiRuki moment :) made it just for you guys! Cause I love you all and you've been so good to me. **

**I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day and spent at least some time thinking of the Vets who gave everything to make sure we could have this day of freedom.**

**Now onto the reviewers.**

**To BlackHeart1723- well this one is almost over, the next one won't be that long though and then I'll be back at mindcrime**

**To Akott the two-faced- I always check my reviews..or have you not noticed the review replies each chapter? Lol, well we all have our opinions and I wanted Byakuya and Yachiru together on this one. I tend not to blow up in people's faces unless they are just over the top rude (like one person who said they didn't like my story cause of pacing…I told him to fuck off) and no cursing is not fucking offensive to me…I love the hands talking, reminds me of me a bit**

**To Ochoa- thank you, I try my best to be awesome**

* * *

Ichigo stood on top of the hill, watching as the sun set behind Seireitei City. Ichigo looked to his left and right; Lisa, Kensei, Mashiro, Isshin, Ulquiorra, Kenpachi, and Yachiru stood with him, all waiting on his signal. Tosen's army was still huge, and the Dragon Warriors were much smaller than they had been. Tosen's army had gotten reinforced from somewhere, but no one could tell where from. This morning it had been 3,756 against 14,000 but now it was down to 853 against at least 20,000 now. Ichigo had come up with a great plan, he and those with him now would fly over the city and camp that night, and set fire to everything they could; hopefully stopping the soldiers from bolstering their troops more.

"Make a nice big wall of fire around the field so no more can join them. I want as many taken out as possible and deny them as much sleep as possible. Understood?" everyone nodded and mumbled understanding before Ichigo led them down to the clearing in the camp. "You have your assignments, good luck, meet back here when you're done."

Ichigo changed into a dragon and launched himself high in the air. He closed his eyes and reveled in the clear night sky as he burst through the clouds. He opened his wings and let himself feel free and peaceful for the first time in months. The fresh air felt good in his lungs. The clouds opened up around him and seven dragons appeared around him. Ichigo looked from side to side, wishing that he could have stayed alone a little longer, before he nodded and took a deep breath. He lowered his head and ducked below the clouds, pulling his wings in to his body, dive bombing towards the tower where Rukia had been held. As he focused in on his target he was dimly aware of the others splitting apart to go to their assignments.

Ichigo opened his mouth and let loose a giant fireball of fire. The bright burning ball flew towards the top of the tower. Ichigo opened his wings and leveled off, flying over the city as the fireball slammed into the top of the tower with a roaring explosion. Ichigo breathed fire into the streets before he peeled away. He could see fire rising from the ground by the army camp, making a large box so only small parts of the army could march on the hill. Ichigo winged his way towards the fortress, the steady flap of wings made a thump and pushed air to the ground. Ichigo looked down to see people running for cover and he breathed fire down on them, listening as they screamed.

The tower on top of the fortress was burning, most of it gone and a few burning stones fell to the ground. Ichigo spread his wings to slow down before he hit the side of the fortress, clinging to the wall with his claws. He used his snout to break the window open and then stuck his mouth against the broken glass. He heard screams as he took a deep breath and then released fire into the window. The windows around him shattered and fire exploded from them as his breath rolled out the door and down the halls. When he was out of breath he pushed away from the wall and flapped away. As Ichigo winged over the camp bolts and arrows sprang up at him. He swerved away but felt a small pain and looked over to see a few arrows and gone through the membrane of his right wing. Ichigo flew into the clearing and landed, changing back as everyone else ran over to him. Unohana was with them, just in case someone had gotten hurt, like he had.

"Did we lose anyone?" he asked as he held onto his right arm, holes going through his upper and lower arm.

"No, we finished our missions and came back here. Where were you?" Isshin asked and Ichigo grinned as Unohana came forth and quickly healed his arm.

"I lit the beacon then burned part of the fortress as a sign of things to come."

"Now what's the plan?" Kensei asked and Ichigo looked up into the sky.

"Get some rest. I want two of you to go out every half hour or so to keep them awake and in fear. Then at first light we'll strike and strike hard. The rest of you get some sleep," he turned and walked away to head to his burrow. A few people called out to him, but he ignored them all as he walked to the door and slid it off. He walked into the burrow and found Rukia sitting on the small stool, leaning forward and staring into the fire. Ichigo slid the door back into place and stood there for a few seconds, watching her. The flames crackled and threw a softly light on the walls as Ichigo stared at her. They had decided to keep the hole like it was, no fancy furniture, just the basics. Rukia was sitting on the chair wearing a thin silk robe. Ichigo walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them softly.

"How much damage did you do?" she asked, not surprised that he was there. She probably heard him come in and had waited on him to make curst contact. They hadn't been together for a few months and now that she was back all Ichigo wanted to do was be with her.

"Not much, destroyed the tower they held you in and damaged part of the fortress, but not much, and nothing beyond that except for the camp."

"Good. I don't want to lose that city. That city means a lot to the people," she said and sighed as Ichigo's hands pushed the robe out of the way and his callused hands ran over her shoulders. Ichigo leaned down and brushed some hair from her neck before planting a small kiss where her neck and shoulder met. Rukia sighed and leaned back against him. His hands ran across her shoulders and pushed the robe out of the way a little more, baring the top of her breasts to the air. Rukia leaned her head back and stared up at Ichigo, her face slightly flushed. Ichigo kissed along her neck as he pushed his hands inside her robe and started to softly massage her breasts.

"Ichigo," Rukia moaned softly and reached up behind her to run her fingers through his hair. Rukia smiled to herself, she had missed all this. She had missed the softness of his lips, the soft touch of his rough callused hands, the silkiness of his hair, his warm breath on her skin, the love in his eyes. She moaned again as he took both her nipples and pinched them softly, twisting them in his fingers. The rough feel of his hands combined with the soft touches sent pleasure rippling through her body. Rukia shivered when his warm breath touched her neck, and she felt desire rise up as her pussy got wet. Rukia rubbed her legs together under the robe as she tried to create some friction to help pleasure herself.

"Are you enjoying this?" Ichigo asked and Rukia nodded, not wanting to speak for fear of missing the sweet sound of his voice. Rukia closed her eyes and let her head drop back as far as it would go, allowing Ichigo more access to her neck. Ichigo cupped her breasts softly as he nibbled across her neck. Rukia let out a soft moan and she tugged on his hair, trying to pull him up to her mouth. Ichigo finally relented her neck and leaned back to give her a quick kiss before he pulled back and Rukia groaned.

"Come on Ichigo, kiss me," she whined and Ichigo leaned down to press his lips against her softly. Their lips moved together in a slow dance before Ichigo squeezed Rukia's nipples again, making her gasp in pleasure against his lips. As soon as her mouth opened Ichigo slipped his tongue past her lips and tasted her mouth. Rukia moaned and let his tongue explore her mouth, running her tongue against his, loving his sweet taste. His mouth was warm against hers, his tongue rough compared to the gentle way he played with her breasts. Ichigo pulled back and licked her lips before he leaned forward and kissed along her neck. Rukia leaned up a bit and placed a few soft kisses against the front of his throat making him laugh a bit.

"Stop, I'm ticklish there," he said and Rukia did it again, following it up with a slow lick of her tongue. Ichigo leaned back out of her reach and glared down at her. She gave him an innocent look and he shook his head before he leaned over her again. Rukia gasped when he lifted her tits up and licked at her nipples. Ichigo grinned and leaned back away from her, making her pout.

"Ichigo come back," she begged and reached out for him as he took a step back, teasing her. She pouted some more and Ichigo walked back over to her and she reached out to cup his balls through his pants. "You have really big balls," she said and Ichigo shook his head as he leaned down to kiss her lightly.

"I'm going to make you scream," he said and Rukia grinned.

"Mmmm, really? I'd like to see you try," she said and Ichigo raised an eyebrow before he kissed her deeply, massaging her breasts with one hand as he slid the other down her body to the curls between her legs. Rukia moaned into his mouth as his fingers ran over her clit, pressing against it softly as he moved it around in a small circle. Ichigo felt how wet she was as he ran his finger up and down the outside of her pussy. Rukia started to move her hips against his hand, trying to get his finger inside her. Ichigo ran a hand through her hair as he continued to play with her.

"You are so wet," he said and Rukia moaned in response as he slid a finger part way into her before retreating. He did this a couple of times and Rukia started to pant as she grabbed onto his arm tightly. Ichigo slipped his finger all the way into her and Rukia gasped and moaned loudly. Ichigo went to his knees behind her and Rukia leaned back against him as he started to slowly pump his fingers in and out. Rukia shuddered and relaxed against Ichigo's chest as pleasure washed through her. She felt the tension of the war slip away slowly as she was touched for the first time in months. She hadn't been able to get herself off, no matter how many times she had tried.

Ichigo smiled and brushed her silky hair away from her neck so he could kiss her smooth creamy skin. He felt her pussy get wetter and he pushed a second finger into her making her moan loudly and she started to buck her hips against his hand. Ichigo quickened his pace just a little bit and Rukia reached down to rub her clit as he slid in and out of her with his fingers. Rukia started to gasp for breath as Ichigo pushed his fingers deep. Ichigo started to pump really fast and Rukia squeezed her lips shut to keep from screaming as a tidal wave of pleasure ran through her. Rukia bucked her hips against Ichigo's hand roughly as she came on his fingers. Ichigo smiled as Rukia leaned against him, panting as a few beads of sweat ran down her face and neck.

"I almost had you screaming," he said and Rukia licked her lips before she shook her head.

"Bullshit, I wasn't close at all," she said and Ichigo raised an eyebrow as he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

"I call bullshit on that," he said as he laid her down on the bed. Rukia scooted back to lean against the wall as Ichigo went to his knees in front of her. Rukia threw her legs over his shoulders with a sexy grin.

"You still accept the challenge?" she said and Ichigo responded with a quick thrust of fingers into her pussy. Rukia gasped and Ichigo smiled as he felt the warmth of her pussy mold around his fingers again, welcoming him back. Ichigo pumped his fingers in and out slowly as Rukia moaned and moved her hips again as she leaned her head against the wall of the burrow. Ichigo leaned forward and took a small lick at her clit. Rukia's eyes snapped open and she arched her back, pushing her cunt against his mouth. Ichigo sucked on her clit as fingers thrust in and out fast and rough. Rukia squeezed her eyes shut as the pleasure overwhelmed her. Tears came to her eyes as she struggled not to scream, but it was hard. The feel of his fingers inside her pumping roughly, the soft touch of his tongue on her clit, the way he slowly licked at her pussy around his fingers that moved fast; it was all so infuriating and it was sending her over the edge. Rukia could feel her climax getting closer with each passing second. She reached down and grabbed his hair, pushing his face against her soaking wet cunt. Ichigo removed his fingers and slipped his tongue into her folds, tasting the sweet nectar that came out as he teased her clit with his fingers. Ichigo licked the inside of her pussy and Rukia placed one hand behind her on the bed, the other in his hair, and started to grind her hips against his mouth. Rukia gasped loudly as the pleasure reached her center and she came again. Ichigo rubbed her clit hard and fast as he licked up her juices. Rukia bit her lower lip as she moaned and tried to keep from screaming as Ichigo kept going, making her orgasm last longer. Rukia's thighs squeezed Ichigo's head tightly as she tried to get him to stop.

"Still no scream? You are good," Ichigo said as he pulled away when he had licked her clean and Rukia moved to lay down, her breasts heaving as she gasped for breath. Sweat covered her body and she let her robe fall open. Her nipples were hard and sensitive to the air, her skin had goose bumps on it, her pussy was swollen and she shuddered as she started coming down from her high. Rukia looked up went the bed creaked and saw Ichigo hovering over her, fully naked. She felt something press against her pussy and she looked down with a grin to see Ichigo's cock in his hand as he rubbed it against her clit. Rukia moaned and grabbed two handfuls of Ichigo's hair as he leaned down to kiss her.

As their tongues played with each other Ichigo slowly pushed into her. Rukia gasped, her eyes widened as his dick stretched her. She wrapped her legs around his back as he pushed all the way, moaning himself at the silky wet warmth of her pussy as it surrounded him, squeezing him tightly. Ichigo started to thrust slowly, both of them loving the friction. Rukia looked down as he pulled out, his dick shining in the firelight from her juices that covered him. Ichigo pushed back in and Rukia let her head drop back, sighing as she was filled again. Ichigo started to move faster, the feel of her cunt around him making him lose control.

Rukia gasped and arched her back, pushing her breasts against his face as he leaned down and took a nipple in his mouth. He rolled his tongue around the nipple before biting it lightly. Rukia moved her hips against his, both of them falling into a fast rough rhythm. Ichigo sucked on her tits, his hands massaging the one not in his mouth.

"Ichigo, harder," Rukia gasped, her primal instinct taking over at the pleasure that drove through her like a thunderstorm. Ichigo complied and Rukia let out a scream as Ichigo plunged his cock into her repeatedly. She could feel him all the way at her womb and she pulled him close as she felt her orgasm coming closer. Rukia was torn, she didn't know whether she wanted it to end or not. It felt so good, but she hadn't had it in such a long time that she wanted to cum again. Ichigo bit down on her neck roughly and that was it. Rukia came with a scream, her nails digging into his back. Ichigo came with a roar, his cum spraying deep inside her. Rukia could feel the hot cum filling her and she gasped as they laid there, her pussy milking more from him. They both laughed a bit and kissed softly as Ichigo grinned.

"I win," he said and Rukia slapped his arm before kissing him again.

* * *

Ichigo sat on his horse in front of the remaining men. The sun was coming up behind them and he could see Tosen leading the enemy troops onto the field. In the distance the city was burning out of control. Ichigo felt bad for lying to Rukia about it, but he wanted to break the enemy and burning their city to the ground seemed like the best way. The enemy forces blackened the field before them, yet each Dragon Warrior sat on his horse, ready to die. The front line of cavalry was made up of all the Captains and Lieutenants and the Visoreds, and Byakuya situated between Yachiru and Kenpachi. The infantry was lined up behind them, waiting for their turn to charge. Ichigo watched as Tosen gave the command to march up the hill, and the humans started to march. The catapults and giant crossbows had been destroyed in the night, at least the ones they could find.

"Men! This is it! There is Tosen! The one who has been killing us for what we are! What are we going to do to him?"

"Kill him! Make him pay!" came the reply from every throat in the army.

"Then let's go!" Ichigo dug his heels into the horse's ribs and the horse leapt down the hill. Each man had a long spear in his hand and a sword on his hip. Ichigo shot a fireball from his mouth and watched as it arced down and exploded in the mass of men. More fireballs joined his, from Dragon Warriors and Mages. Nel and Tia were standing on the hill throwing fireballs down as support. Suddenly the sky darkened as thousands of arrows jumped up from the enemy lines and came at them. Fireballs burned many of them from the sky, but some made it down to earth. Ichigo turned and watched as men fell from the saddles behind him. Many of them pierced by multiple arrows.

Ichigo turned back to the enemy and lowered his spear as he snarled. Arrows jumped up again and once again fireballs cleared most of them down. Ichigo looked to his left and watched as Ulquiorra took two arrows in his chest and one in his neck. He fired one more fireball before a couple of arrows hit his horse which pitched forward throwing hum under the hooves of the men behind him. Ichigo looked to his right as his men roared and everyone lowered their spears. One last wave of arrows came at point blank range. Many of them fell short and took out their own men on accident, many more were burned from the air, while a few got through. He saw Yachiru screaming as Byakuya's head snapped back, an arrow in his left eye. He did a backflip over the rear of his horse, blood flying through the air from around the arrow.

Lisa took an arrow between the breasts, the wind knocked from her she dropped her spear and pitched forward just as they hit the front lines. A spear went through her stomach and she gasped, blood spraying from her mouth as she was held in the air by the soldier. Ichigo used his spear to knock aside the enemy spears and he thrust his spear forward, taking a man in the neck as his horse charged into the enemy. Men were trampled beneath hooves as the cavalry punch a hole directly into the front lines. Ichigo drew his sword and slashed at the men around him as he charged towards Tosen who drew his sword. There was panic on his face as hundreds of horses charged through his lines to get to him.

Grimmjow's horse was cut out from under him and he rolled away as hooves pounded the ground where he had been laying. He stood up and cut his way through the enemy as he tried to get to Tosen. Ichigo slashed a man across the face and was sprayed with blood. Kensei was knocked from his horse by a spear and Mashiro jumped from her horse, changing into a dragon as swords and spears cut Kensei to pieces. Mashiro launched herself at the enemy, her tail and fire clearing away hundreds of men at a time.

Ichigo watched as she was trapped by ropes and killed as well. As her head was removed from her neck she changed back into a human. Kenpachi jumped off his horse as he got to Tosen first. Yachiru and Isshin were trapped with a group of men as they fought in a circle. Ichigo jumped from his horse and cut his way to them, the horses now stopped a few lines from Tosen most of the men were dead or dying. The infantry was trying to keep open the gap the horses had created, but they were quickly surrounded.

"Where is everyone?" Ichigo asked over the scream of men as he cut down a soldier trying to put a spear through his father.

"Toshiro is with Grimmjow," Isshin said as he grinned, cutting down a man to his right. "Kenpachi is trying to kill Tosen. We lost all the Visoreds, most of the cavalry, the infantry is stopped, and we are trapped. Any other questions?" he asked and Ichigo looked over to see Yachiru crying as she killed, trying to keep control as she mourned Byakuya.

"I need to get to Tosen!" Ichigo shouted. "Help me!"

* * *

Grimmjow and Toshiro fought back to back, trying to just survive. The humans were closing in and both men were quickly running out of energy. Grimmjow took a sword in the shoulder and shouted in pain before he cut the man's chest open. Grimmjow pulled the sword free and threw it, the sword going through a man's neck to the hilt. Grimmjow felt a sharp pain as he was about to cut down another man and looked down to see a spear coming out of his stomach. He reached down with a gloved hand and touched the spear.

"Toshiro," he turned to see Toshiro pinned to his back, the spear going through him. Grimmjow watched as another soldier stepped forward and plunged his spear through Toshiro's chest and Grimmjow gasped and jerked as the spear came out his chest, just missing the heart. Grimmjow struggled to stay on his feet and looked up in time to see a sword coming for his head. He closed his eyes and saw Nel's face, and he hoped and prayed she would survive this.

* * *

Nel screamed as she felt Grimmjow die, and she used her magic to propel herself off the hill, leaving behind Tia who tried to stop her. Nel's tears of rage and sorrow streamed behind her as her body was enveloped in fire. She streaked through the sky right to Grimmjow and touched his body. As she touched him all her rage was released in one massive explosion.

* * *

Ichigo watched as a streak of fire came crashing down into the mass of men and exploded. The shockwave sent him flying to the ground along with everyone around him. As he pushed himself to his feet he saw the men getting up and advancing on him. Ichigo quickly stood up and cut down the men advancing on him, but turned at the scream of pain. He looked back and saw his father pinned to the ground by four spears. One through his chest and three through his stomach. Ichigo screamed and cut the men to pieces in a flurry of his sword.

"Dad!" he went to his knees and held Isshin's head as Isshin tried to speak. Nothing came out and Ichigo screamed, shooting fire into the sky, as he died.

* * *

"You are not the one I was hoping to face," Tosen said calmly as Kenpachi stood before him. The shockwave from the explosion had knocked everyone off their feet but them. Kenpachi had small cuts on his body, none really that dangerous to his life, and his sword was red with blood from tip to hand. Kenpachi grinned and slashed his sword to his right, cutting three men in half. The men screamed as they fell, their guts steaming slightly. The rest of the humans stood back in a large circle and watched as Tosen and Kenpachi squared off. Kenpachi charged at Tosen who blocked the downward strike easily. Kenpachi looked half surprised when Tosen never even moved from the force of the strike but instead jumped in the air and kicked Kenpachi in the face before slashing him across the chest. As Kenpachi stumbled back a bit Tosen slashed out and got him across the side of the neck.

Kenpachi stabbed at Tosen who let it go through his stomach before he put his fist through Kenpachi's chest. Kenpachi coughed and blood poured from his mouth. Kenpachi took a few steps back and then looked at Tosen as he held a hand over his neck to stop the bleeding.

"You are exactly what I was looking for," Kenpachi said and slashed wildly at Tosen who dodged or blocked every swing. Kenpachi changed his last swing at the last second and took off Tosen's left arm at the shoulder. Tosen sighed and Kenpachi almost fainted when he watched Tosen's arm grow back. The humans backed away even farther as they saw what Tosen was doing. Their minds now questioning what they were doing. The men stopped fighting as everyone turned to watch Kenpachi launch himself at Tosen, swinging his sword with both hands at his neck. There was a roar and a loud bang as the shockwave from Kenpachi's swing took out a bunch of men and part of the wall behind Tosen. Smoke and dust rose over the battlefield as Ichigo pushed through the men who were now just watching. When it cleared a large black dragon, three times the size of Ichigo, stood there; and impaled on his tail was Kenpachi. The large tail nearly splitting him in half. The dragon flicked his tail and threw Kenpachi across the battlefield. His body split in half as he flew, and a smile was on his face as his body hit the ground.

* * *

Ichigo pushed through the men and saw the dragon rising above him and he knew this was the end. Ichigo slid his sword back into its sheath and changed into a dragon and stood opposite Tosen who roared at him. Ichigo roared back in defiance and gathered all the strength he had and launched himself at Tosen. With one large flap of wings Tosen flew into the air and Ichigo plowed into the wall of the city. As Ichigo shook himself off he craned his neck to the side and looked up at Tosen who was flying high. Ichigo flapped his wings and flew after him. Ichigo was still losing ground and he realized with shock that the bigger dragon was moving faster than him.

Ichigo pumped his wings hard to catch up, but no matter what he couldn't. The dragon above him disappeared into the clouds and Ichigo struggled to get higher. He finally broke through the clouds and looked around. He couldn't see anything around him, nothing but sun and clouds. The bare flap of wings was all that alerted him to the attack from below. Ichigo did a barrel roll to his left as large jaws came through the clouds, barely missing his neck. As Tosen flew by Ichigo latched onto his back with his claws and started to try and scratch him, but the scales were too strong for his claws. Tosen's tail swung up and smacked Ichigo across the jaw, knocking him off. As Ichigo fell Tosen kicked him with his hind legs, his claws tearing through Ichigo's stomach.

Ichigo roared in pain and turned, flying away quickly. Tosen's claws scratched Ichigo's back, but the scales kept most of the damage from his back. Ichigo turned and launched a fireball at Tosen. The fireball hit Tosen in the face and Tosen went through it like nothing was there. Ichigo did a backflip and flew under Tosen, flipping his tail up twice in fast succession. The first jab went into Tosen's belly and the second went through his left wing. Tosen roared in pain and Ichigo flew as high as he could. The air started to get thin as he turned his head around to see Tosen right behind him, everything healed. Ichigo flipped to the side, Tosen's jaws just missing the end of his tail.

Ichigo roared in pain as claws dug into his side, and wings wrapped around him. Tosen's jaws closed on Ichigo's neck and Ichigo felt blood running down his scales. Ichigo struggled to get away, but no matter what he did Tosen had a good hold on him. Tosen's wings kept them both aloft for the moment, but how long until he ripped off Ichigo's wings and let him fall? Ichigo jab his tail deep into Tosen's belly and spread the end, ripping his insides apart. Tosen let Ichigo go and Ichigo started to fly up again, this time his head spinning from lack of blood. Ichigo looked down and saw Tosen coming for him again, and he made a quick decision. Ichigo changed back into a human and drew his sword. Tosen opened his mouth as Ichigo dropped towards him.

Ichigo held out Zangetsu and blocked the teeth that came at him. Sparks flew at teeth met steel and Ichigo went spinning off into the sky. Tosen spun around and dove at him, breathing fire down. Ichigo thrust out his left arm and blocked the fireball with one of his own. The explosion sent Ichigo plummeting towards the earth. Ichigo opened his eyes and saw his left arm charred to his shoulder. He still had Zangetsu grasped in his hand and he looked up to see Tosen flying towards him. Ichigo did a flip just as Tosen went rushing by and Ichigo slashed him along his underside from just under his jaw to his tail. Ichigo blinked and felt himself floating in the air.

Tosen flew at him and yet Ichigo couldn't move. It felt like he was standing still and chained into place. He couldn't even move his arms to defend himself. Was this how it was going to end? Was this how he was going to die? Suddenly Tosen stopped flying and time seemed to stop. Ichigo saw four slightly transparent dragons latched onto Tosen, their jaws holding him in place as he fought against them.

"Now Ichigo," he heard a voice in his head. "Do it now!"

Ichigo nodded and put all the power he could into Zangetsu until the sword glowed a deep blue color instead of black. One by one the dragons let go and melded their essence with Zangetsu and Ichigo was fully healed. Tosen roared and flew at Ichigo who stood there in thin air calmly waiting. Tosen opened his jaws and clamped them shut around Ichigo. Ichigo raised his sword as he flew down the Tosen's throat and slammed the tip into the top of his throat. Tosen roared in pain as he was cut from the roof of the mouth all the way to his stomach. Once Ichigo reached his stomach he plunged himself into the acid and swam to the bottom where the fire resided. Ichigo rammed his sword into the fire and Tosen roared as the fire rushed up through his throat, trying to burn Ichigo who just stood there. The fired mixed with Tosen's blood and Tosen screamed as he was burned from the inside out.

Ichigo was thrown towards the ground as Tosen exploded with a final roar. In his place flew a shimmering transparent dragon. The Dragon of Spirit roared and flew towards him, but the four Dragon Lords launched themselves from Zangetsu and hit the Dragon of Spirit all at once. The five dragons disappeared in a flash of light and Ichigo found himself falling to the ground. His body was burned badly all over, his limbs useless. Suddenly four voices spoke at once in his head.

_Thank you Ichigo Kurosaki. You have beat the Dragon of Spirit and he is now trapped in his new statue. We will give you one of three choices to make. You can save yourself but the world will stay as it is now. You can bring back all those dead and turn the clock back but you will die and Tosen will be dead. Finally you can put the world back to the way it was before this all started, but you will not remember Rukia or she you. Whatever you choose your death will start the chain reaction to what you choose._

Ichigo thought about Karin, and how she would miss Isshin, and Toshiro. He thought of Tia who would miss Nel and Grimmjow and Stark, he thought of Yachiru who would miss Byakuya and Kenpachi. He thought of all those lost in the fighting, he thought of all those Dragon Warriors and humans who had lost family. He thought of Rukia, and how she would miss Byakuya, and he thought of the Visoreds and the sacrifices they made.

He thought about what it would be like to be Emperor with the remaining Dragon Warriors as Guards. He thought of a fresh start, though with everyone dead it seemed like a lot of work, but it may be worth it.

He thought of Rukia, how he would miss her. But it wouldn't be so bad. He could find her again. It would take a long time, and he may not find her, maybe someone else would be his. But he didn't want that.

He knew then what he would choose.

_You have made your decision. _

Ichigo smiled and looked up to see Zangetsu falling with him, just out of his reach. The sword turned slowly in the air, first the point staring him down then the hilt begging to be grabbed. Ichigo closed his eyes, the pain of the battle fading as blood and smoke trailed over him as he fell, back towards the ground face up staring at the clouds. Ichigo closed his eyes and smiled.

"I love you Rukia Kuchiki," he said softly. Ichigo's back hit the ground, creating a large crater, and Zangetsu went straight through his heart to the hilt, spearing him to the ground.

* * *

**Oh I am so bad! You'll find out what he chose in the Epilogue chapter. What does everyone think he chose to do?**


	26. Epilogue

**Okay peoples! Here is the Epilogue chapter to Dragon wars. It has been wonderful seeing all those reviews and I'm glad that people enjoyed what I wrote even though its complete crap. I will go back to mindcrime now and even some more stories I have in my brain waiting to come out. Who knows, maybe someday you'll see a book come out by me. Thank you all for reading and here are the reviewers.**

**To BlackHeart1723- thank you lol, surprise was exactly what I was aiming for. I hope you come back to reading Mindcrime now when I start updating it again.**

**To Maverick12288- we shall see what he chose :)**

**To Akott the two-faced- you don't have to tell me about hands being weird, just look at the story you just read! You can thank my hands for that. Yeah I blow up on people but I don't have time for idiots. If you have constructive criticism I'll listen but if you waste my time then I won't be nice about it.**

**To Guest- even though you are only on chapter two when I write this to you, thank you and I hope you keep enjoying it.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own bleach, but I now do own a very relaxed me now that this story is done!**

* * *

Rukia stretched and sat up, the sheets falling down her torso to pool at her hips. She smiled at the bright sunlight that shone through the window of her room. It was early morning and she sat there for a few minutes, staring out the semi open curtains. Rukia heard a slight snore and smiled down at the orange hair that poked out from under the covers. She patted Ichigo's head softly and then pulled the sheets back and stood up, pulling her pink chappy robe over her naked body and tied it off.

Rukia looked behind her as she opened the bedroom door and gave one last smile to a sleeping Ichigo before she closed the door and walked down the hall to the kitchen. When she got there she started a pot of coffee before she went into the fridge and grabbed a peach. She rinsed the skin before taking a bite, chewing slowly as she savored the sweet taste. The coffee machine beeped a few minutes later as the pot finished up. Rukia walked over to the machine and poured herself a cup before sitting down at the table, sipping it carefully so as to not burn herself.

"Morning Rukia," Yoruichi walked into the kitchen and grabbed a box of frosted flakes a pair of bowls and a cup of coffee before sitting at the table.

"Morning Yoruichi," Rukia replied as she poured herself a bowl of cereal. "Sleep well?" Rukia asked and Yoruichi nodded.

"Kisuke got me to cum at least five times last night. I passed the fuck out." She said and Rukia smiled and shook her head.

"Ever since his father died we haven't had sex, and I'm starting to miss his cock," she said and Yoruichi nodded.

"It will take some time for him to heal up. Until then try to take it easy. Remember that he was pretty much broken."

"You two talking about me in here?" Ichigo said as he walked through the door slowly. His eye were still glazed with sleep and he rubbed at his face as he made his way over to Rukia's chair.

"Oh, sorry sweetheart, I didn't mean to wake you," Rukia said and Ichigo shook his head.

"I woke myself up," he leaned down and kissed the back of her head, giving her a small hug before making his way over to the coffee. "This is much better than that shitty hospital coffee," he said after taking a sip.

"How did you sleep?" Yoruichi asked and Ichigo shrugged.

"Still having some pain in my legs, but it was okay. Had the weirdest fucking dream though," he said as he put a bagel in the toaster and grabbed the block of cream cheese from the fridge.

"What was it about?" Rukia asked.

"It was about us, well partly about us," Ichigo said, leaning against the counter as he waited for his breakfast. "And Yoruichi and Kisuke were in it as well."

"Oh do tell. I love a good dream about me! Was I a hit with all the ladies?" Kisuke asked as he walked through the door. Yoruichi glared over her shoulder at him and he shrugged.

"It's just a dream, no need to get mad at me," he said but stood by the counter just out of her reach.

"Well, let's see. I was a human that could turn into a dragon, and Kisuke and Yoruichi were as well, we were called Dragon Warriors. It was like, back in the old days of swords and castles. Rukia you were a Dragon Hunter because a dragon who was Aizen, big surprise right, killed your sister. Byakuya was a human lord and you were the heir to his throne."

"That I am not surprised of," Byakuya said as he walked through the door. Ichigo grabbed his bagel and placed it on his plate before sitting down to eat.

"Of course you aren't surprised by that," Ichigo said and Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "You act like a damn king already. Anyway Renji and Rukia were to be married but then they stayed in an inn where I was staying. Rukia didn't want to marry him and then they met me. I kept Rukia away from him and me and her fell in love-"

"I thought I was in this," Kisuke whined and then yelped when Byakuya smacked him on the back of the head Gibbs style.

"Shut up, I'm trying to listen," he said and Ichigo nodded.

"Thank you Byakuya. Now after a few adventures all three of us traveled together and met up with my second in command Grimmjow, who was a Dragon Warrior as well, and his mate Nel who was a mage. We all traveled for a while and then we met up with Kenpachi and Yachiru. Apparently I was making an army to kill all Dragon Warriors, according to Aizen and Gin. Meanwhile a human lord names Tosen was raising that army with the help of Aizen and Gin. They trapped us in Toshiro's ice palace after killing a lot of Dragon Warriors."

"We all kept fighting and Rukia was taken captive by Tosen who wanted to marry her to make himself king and control the world. Well the dragon warriors ended up fighting against large odds and most were killed. I think by the end only Ulquiorra, Rukia, and I were alive as well as a few soldiers. Well I fought against Tosen and killed him. He was apparently the Dragon of Spirit that the Four Dragon Lords of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water had trapped in a statue. For killing him I was able to make one of three choices."

"What would those be?" Rukia asked after Ichigo took a pause to drink some milk.

"I could either save myself, but the world would stay as it was at the point. I could bring all those dead back to life, but Tosen and I would both be dead. Or I could turn back the clock to before it all started but Rukia and I would not remember each other. My death would seal whatever I chose and start the chain reaction."

"So what did you choose?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo blinked. While he was telling the short story of what he had dreamed the kitchen had filled up with everyone there.

"I chose to bring back all those who had been loyal to me during the war, so people like Aizen and Gin would be dead, but you all would survive," Ichigo said. "I remember I hit the ground and Zangetsu went through me and killed me, then I woke up," he said.

"That would make a great story. You should write it out and sell it, I'm sure with a little more detail and some plot twists it would be a best seller," Nel said and Ichigo nodded.

"Only bad thing, I can't write for shit," everyone laughed and then joined in on making a large breakfast for the family. Ichigo sat in his chair, thinking about his dream, and smiled to himself. If he could dream up something that crazy, then maybe he could write it out. He sat there and started to scribble on a piece of paper while breakfast was being prepared.

* * *

**To answer any questions that I know will come up the answers are these.**

**Ichigo dreamed the whole thing**

**This is going to Operation: Silence the Strawberry after he gets home from the hospital after his torture **

**Was I planning this all along? No, this was actually a last minute idea to fuck with everyone's minds :D**

**Thank you all so much for a wonderful time! God bless you all.**


End file.
